SNARF’S SANDWICHES OPENED IN A 650-SQUARE-FOOT “SHACK” IN BOULDER, COLORADO.
THE IDEA MAN Seidel grew up in St. Louis. And in high school he frequented a local sandwich shop that specialized in roast beef sandwiches. “I thought, ‘I bet we could open up 1,000 of these,’” Seidel said. “It’s always been on my mind.” But he also liked food in general and felt that opening a restaurant would be a great idea. “It was always very important to me,” he said. “When I sat down to lunch I was thinking about dinner. When I was at break- fast I was thinking of lunch. I thought I could do that.” It would take time, however. Seidel had settled in Chicago, where he spent a decade working as a market maker. He kept coming back to his dream of opening a restaurant. “I just didn’t enjoy that life,” he said. Seidel wasn’t sure what kind of restau- rant he wanted to open. He thought about a fine-dining restaurant but also wanted something he could expand. When he start- ed crafting his business plan, he settled on a sandwich concept. His parents were skeptical. And they had good reason. “I’ve always had a lot of ide- as,” Seidel said. “This is the first one I’ve had that’s really had any measure of success.” He initially looked around the Chicago area for a site for his restaurant. But Seidel didn’t quite have the resources he needed to open a restaurant there. He also felt the need for a change of scenery. “Boulder is a beautiful spot, with a lot of outdoor activity,” Seidel said.
THE 10 FASTEST GROWING TOP 500 RESTAURANT CHAINS Snarf’s Sandwiches is among the 10 fastest growing restaurant chains on the Technomic Top 500 ranking, up there with drink chains and chicken concepts.
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RESTAURANT BUSINESS JULY 2025
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