Toasty Subs has finally opened in Maplewood. Despite the name, it is not a typical sandwich shop. The restaurant features subs alongside sushi—a rare combo that takes some customers by surprise.
Owner Alex Liu originally planned to start selling his wife’s sushi after the restaurant was well-established with its subs, but Liu changed his mind just before opening. “I thought, ‘Why not? There are not many sushi restaurants around here,’” he says.
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Liu’s wife, Lily, rolls the sushi as it’s ordered, and the subs go through a state-of-the-art sandwich oven. The Lius also offer a variety of smoothies and tea, which they say are as popular as the food.
Liu plans to gradually update the restaurant in the coming months. The site already includes an outdoor dining area and a drive-thru (although Liu has not opened it yet), and he plans to update the menu and hire more employees. (Currently, Liu has just two.) “We have to make sure we train them correctly before we hire new people,” Liu says. “Making sushi is hard, so we have to teach them well first.”
Despite the small staff, Liu emphasized the value of customer service. “We are a true family-owned restaurant,” he says. “Fast-food places want speed, but I want the opposite—I want quality.”
