I don’t know man, it’s Friday afternoon and all the news is right there in the headline: On Payne McDonald’s Sandwiches now has a third sandwich shop in Queen Anne, meaning you no longer have to go to Ballard to get the great Caribbean food the small chain offers.
But since we’re all here, how about a few more details? Located on Galer Street between Third and Fourth Avenues, the store is open now, but for now it’s only open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. so the team can “fix little kinks,” says co-owner Lucas Lorenzo. Starting next Wednesday, the store will be open at 11 a.m. like Un Bien’s other two locations, both in Ballard. And unlike those stores, you’ll actually be able to order inside instead of going to a drive-thru window — so you won’t have to wait in line in the rain.
As for the menu, it will be pretty much the same, because when you have Un Bien’s reputation, why mess with anything? It’s big sandwiches with tender onions and flavorful marinated meats, plus classic Caribbean sides like beans and rice (don’t forget the beans).
But if Lucas and his brother Julian Lorenzo have been mastering the art of sandwiches for some time now – their father Lorenzo Lorenzo started the Paseo restaurant, which is now under new management after Complex drama — Expanding Un Bien proved more difficult. Lucas says the owners had been working on opening the Queen Anne location for two and a half years, dealing with a lengthy construction and permitting process while converting a non-restaurant business into a restaurant.
“I will never do this again,” Lucas says. “I only buy pre-owned homes.” [restaurant spaces that require minimal renovation] “from now on.”
Does this mean Un Bien is in expansion mode? Yes, but don’t expect a fourth restaurant anytime soon. “We’re going very slowly,” he explains. “The lesson we’ve learned from watching this with other people is that expanding too quickly and getting ahead of ourselves can be problematic. So we’re going to spend the next year or two improving this place, and if it’s making money and we’re confident in that, then we might expand somewhere else.”
Un Bien Queen Anne Cafe is located at 319 W Galer Street and is currently open Wednesday through Sunday from 4pm to 9pm.
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