In the eyes of Felipe Pérez, all sandwiches are not created equal. Pérez is CEO of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico–based El Mesón Sandwiches, where, to be sure, the sandwiches are hot-pressed and made with Puerto Rico’s soft, mildly sweet criollo bread. And yes, many are also made using Swiss cheese, but that is where the equality and uniformity end. The chain serves up 23 varieties of sandwich, among them the Delicioso (turkey, bacon and Swiss cheese); the Minnesota Feast (roast beef, turkey, Swiss cheese and Meson’s special sauce); the Argentino (roast beef, chimichurri sauce and Swiss cheese) and one of its best sellers, the All Pro (Virginia ham, pastrami, sautéed onions and melted Swiss cheese). Vegetarians have savory options here too, such as the Surfer (soy salami, Swiss and American cheeses, pickles, peppers, onions, tomatoes and cabbage).
Not all coffee is made equal either. The chain’s espresso, made with 100 percent Arabica premium coffee, garnered an excellence rating from Coffee Review magazine last year. To make sure quality remains high, management employs an official companywide barista. “Our business motto is: ‘Anytime breakfast, serious coffee and awesome sandwiches,’” said Pérez. Salads, soups, pastries and more are on offer too.
With nearly 40 shops in Puerto Rico now, the company opened its first U.S. café in June of last year, at The Florida Mall, in Orlando, and then opened a freestanding unit this past May at The Loop, in Kissimmee. A third shop opened just this summer at the Orlando International Premium Outlet Mall, and a fourth is on track for the first quarter of next year at Lee Vista Promenade, which DDR Corp. is building in Orlando. The chain is negotiating a fifth shop, in Central Florida. Plans are to expand to other U.S. markets, though no specific areas have been identified yet. “We have always believed our product is exportable,” said Pérez. In the U.S. the chain will call itself simply Meson Sandwiches.
The company likes 3,000-square-foot spaces in power centers, preferably with drive-through facilities, which generate half its overall sales. The chain reports annual sales of $80 million and says it has achieved same-store sales increases in each of the past five years. The Florida Mall shop alone sold some $2.2 million worth of food its first year, exceeding projections, Pérez says.
“They offer an exceptional product at an attractive price point, and the service is outstanding,” said Brian Hanson, Florida Mall’s general manager. “Our customers love Meson Sandwiches. Its 4.9 stars out of 5 on Google reviews says it all.”
Leasing inquiries may be directed to Bexilda Cabrera, at b_cabrera@elmesonsandwiches.com or (787) 833-1239.
