'Connecticut's Best Grinder' Now Part of Southington Restaurant Options

It was 4 p.m., a time when most restaurants and prepping for the dinner rush and looking to provide employees a break.

That wasn’t the case at the new Nardelli’s Grinder Shop on Queen Street Thursday, where patrons provided a constant stream of business and kept staff busy, all despite a soft opening just one day earlier at the location with little publicity.

“The food is amazing. We’re just happy that we don’t have to travel to Waterbury anymore to get these sandwiches,” one patron said after stopping to pick up a menu.

Nardelli’s officially opened Wednesday, offering a popular option that has taken the state by storm over the better part of the past century. And franchise location owner Michael Osak said he hopes Southington will prove to have the same success as the eight locations that came before it.

Osak said the store, the ninth in the chain, has one goal – to maintain the reputation that the company has built since opening its first location in Waterbury in 1922 and providing the best sandwich possible to all its customers.

And the bustling location may allow the store to thrive, Osak said.

“We chose Southington because it was referred to us by a restaurant broker,” said Osak, who grew up in the southern part of the state. “When we visited, the spot was perfect. There was a lot of traffic, the town had a strong population and interest in the franchise and it seemed the perfect fit.”

Nardelli’s has a wide-range of sandwich options and other Italian foods, but the success has come from the reputation of the grinders.

The restaurant touts the title of having “Connecticut’s Best Grinder,” the chain’s website states, and the secret comes in providing fresh options that include a special blend of diced vegetables with a secret touch of spices.

The chain was first established in 1920, with the Nardelli brothers establishing a grocery chain in Waterbury. They would travel to New York City for the freshest vegetables and found grinders to be a popular food item.

After first offering the grinders in their store at 30 cents each, the success soon took off and people were lining up along South Main Street to get their sandwiches. By 1922, the store was altered to serve as a grinder shop and as they say, the rest is history.

The Southington location is hardly the last the chain will open, however, as Osak said a 10th location is now in the works. The exact location has not been determined.

The store is located in the plaza across from Price Chopper at 405 Queen St. For more information, visit the site by clicking the link provided.

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