When the Elliott family decided to open a new sandwich shop in North Augusta, they initially didn’t intend to include a Reubens on the menu.
“We went to a bunch of sandwich shops see what all was on menus, what’s kind of the standard,” said Jesse Elliott, who co-owns Carolina Hills Sandwich & Sweet Shoppe with his wife Jenny Elliott. “We also knew we wanted to keep it simple. We didn’t want so many sandwiches that nobody can make up their mind as well as we’re limited space. So we can only do so much. We wanted to do 10 to 12 sandwiches and do them well.”
But when word got around that the new eatery was on the horizon, Elliott explains, people insisted the classic corn beef sandwich was among its selections — he recalls the inquiries of eager, expectant customers: “you’re doing Reubens right? You’re going to have a Reuben, right?” The shop ultimately obliged.
The store’s signature sandwich, a homemade family delicacy dubbed the Carolina Turkey, was its top seller for a while, he says, before the chicken croissant took its spot, followed by, of course, the Reuben.
“I haven’t been dreaming of having my restaurant with my recipe the way I want to do it through the years,” Elliott said. “I want to do something that is for the community. I want a good sandwich too… but my ego is not caught up in ‘this is the way I do this.’”
Carolina Hills had its grand opening on May 12. The family also runs Shop 3130, a women’s clothing boutique, and Sweet Fig Market and Gifts, a floral shop, both on West Avenue in North Augusta.
The impetus to launch the new business was a want of nearby sandwich shops. Jesse Elliott himself had never worked in a kitchen besides his own.
“I just knew how to make a sandwich,” he said.
That was enough knowledge to build on, as he and the family sought more. A lack of investors turned the proposed new business into a do-it-yourself research project: from buying and learning to clean, fix and maintain old equipment, to drawing on the insight of more experienced restauranteurs.
“We have learned, through being in business for ourselves for so many years, that we can figure it out,” Elliott said. “You’ve just got to try. You have to take that step of faith. It’s scary, but you take it, and then you figure it out as you go.”
The eatery is set up in a nearly 80-year-old house along Georgia Avenue, is decorated with homey, vintage bric-a-brac. One of those items is a framed jersey of 90’s era North Augusta High football star Michael Mahoney.
Elliott can often be seen walking about greeting, or even engaging in full conversations with, customers. A check-in at a table to make sure an order went well, or that the food is OK, can turn into an affable chat about family, work or how the day’s going.
While the menu is robust, it features sandwich shop staples: the Italian, with pepperoni, ham and salami; or the Boar’s Head club sandwich; alongside desserts like yogurt or, especially, Italian ice. Save for the occasional special selection—like the barbecue sandwich offered for Memorial Day—this simplicity is maintained, alongside a familial atmosphere.
“I want to feel like we’ve been here 40 years, where everybody knows everybody,” said Elliott, underscoring that the way the shop operates— from the cozy décor to accepting, and applying, suggestions from customers on how to optimize the food—is geared toward fostering relationship with the community. “You don’t have to lose that small town feel. You can hold on to that throughout growth, if you just try, and it’s not even hard. It’s what everybody wants. You just have to be personable and talk to people and be friendly. And it seems common to me that’s how you should be.”
Carolina Hills Sandwich & Sweet Shoppe is located at 433 Georgia Ave. in North Augusta.
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
