Though Juan Gutierrez was born in Nicaragua, he grew up and has spent his whole life in the Mission. After attending Berkeley, he decided to take over The Sandwich Place, the restaurant his parents owned, and has been the owner for 30 years.
Gutierrez is locally well known around 16th and Mission. He’s normally found, if not chatting it up with customers in the restaurant, greeting the people that walk by. He can spot his regulars a block away and always welcomes them inside with a smile. He never forgets a face, regardless if you’re a regular or not. He takes advantage of his bilingual abilities to talk to different types of people that walk pass him. If the person speaks Spanish, he’ll start talking in Spanish, giving them a level of comfort and friendliness.
“The best part of my job is people.” The way he presents himself with his customers and coworkers shows the pleasure he receives making sandwiches and being in that atmosphere. It’s the warm and friendly environment he creates that makes people come back to The Sandwich Place; the dedication and love he puts in his sandwiches is where the real flavor lies.
This audio slideshow was produced in collaboration with Digital Newsgathering at San Francisco State University
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The Sandwich Place is located at 2029 Mission Street (between 16th St & 17th St) San Francisco, CA 94110.