"After just two minutes, she puts the halves together, wraps the whole thing in plastic wrap and affixes a price sticker. 'Poor boy sandwich,' the sticker reads. It's $5.50. When unwrapped and sliced in half, the cross section reveals a layered stack of beiges, pinks and reds, like the striped walls of the Grand Canyon."
"A made-to-order sandwich at Falletti Foods' deli, like the popular Italian sub or the veggie, goes for $12.50. The poor boy costs less than half that, mainly because it's made from odds and ends. It's a Frankenstein's sandwich of day-old rolls and extra slices of turkey; when a customer orders a pound of deli meat, any extra gets put aside for the poor boys."
"We're out every day. We can make anywhere from 20 to 28, and we never have anything left over. The poor boy is on a Dutch crunch roll one day and sourdough the next. The only constants are swiss cheese, mayo, mustard and turkey."
Ornella Bouchard, a 16-year deli counter veteran at Falletti Foods in San Francisco's Panhandle, expertly assembles the store's signature poor boy sandwich in two minutes. This $5.50 sandwich features multiple layers of meats and Swiss cheese on various bread types, creating a visually striking cross-section. The poor boy ranks among San Francisco's most economical full meals, competing with banh mi pricing. Made from deli scraps—day-old rolls, surplus turkey slices, and bulk supplier deals—the sandwich changes daily while maintaining consistent core ingredients: Swiss cheese, mayo, mustard, and turkey. The store produces 20-28 sandwiches daily with zero leftovers, demonstrating strong customer demand for this resourcefully constructed meal.
#deli-sandwich #food-waste-reduction #affordable-meals #san-francisco-food-culture #family-owned-business
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