30 years later, the menu at Sub One Hoagie House remains unchanged. What’s its secret?
For Sub One Hoagie House owner Richard Jones, the key to remaining open in Uptown Charlotte for the last 30 years is very simple: God. And while his longtime customers will say it’s the friendly service, consistent reasonable prices and of course the delicious subs, Jones will always point back to his faith.
Sub One Hoagie House opened its doors in September 1992 at 516 N. Graham St., and it recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with a week of going down memory lane and honoring the customers that have kept it in business all these years.
The menu, which has pretty much remained untouched since the shop opened, offers an array of hot and cold subs, as well as a vegetarian option, too. The top sellers for Jones are:
The New Jersey steak sub (cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, oil and vinegar, and Jones’ special sauce);
The Italian sub (turkey ham, turkey salami, beef pepperoni, beef summer sausage and cheese), which can be ordered hot or cold; and
The vegetarian, which is made with soy-based meats.
“For the menu, I used a little bit of everything that influenced me in life,” Jones shared. “I took some guidance from my mother and grandmother, of course things I picked up when I traveled, as well as things I personally enjoyed on my own subs.”
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The sub shop that almost didn’t happen
Opening a sub shop wasn’t always in the plan for Jones and his family. He moved to Charlotte to attend college and immediately began a career after graduation.
“I worked in corporate America as an accountant until I was 40 years old,” Jones recently told CharlotteFive. “And even then, I only left my job to open my own CPA practice.”
As an accountant, Jones was able to also try his hand at investing. Which, according to him, was God’s way of leading him to his sub shop. He acquired the entire strip where Sub One sits on Graham Street, and the rest was history.
“Once I bought that property, I knew I had to find businesses to fill it. As an avid traveler, I always enjoyed trying hoagie sandwiches in different places, so I decided to try my hand at running a sub shop. But, honestly, it was just me following God’s lead. That’s the only way I can explain it.”
The key to 30 more years of Sub One
Jones absolutely loves what he does as a Black entrepreneur. And while the memories of the last 30 years are endless, he says for him, the thing that truly makes his heart smile is knowing that he has been able to set an example for Charlotte’s Black community all these years.
“Just being able to see people who look like me come in with smiling faces all these years is all I need. I have literally seen customers’ children grow up in my shop, and while I don’t expect them to be exactly like me, I do hope that I have created something in them to be better.”
As Jones ages, he hopes his son Derek will keep the family business alive. The younger Jones has been working by his father’s side since he was in college, and now his children are already sharing their own plans to grow the business even more in the future.
“My only wish is that whoever takes over will always remain true and consistent and simply give their best, because God will always lead us and them into [something] greater — whatever that may be.”
Sub One Hoagie House
Location: 516 N. Graham St., Charlotte, NC 28202
Neighborhood: Fourth Ward/Uptown
Cuisine: sub sandwiches
Instagram: @subonehoagie
