Wilmette Subs and Ice Cream, a staple of great cuisine on the North Shore, closed its doors Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Formerly a Quiznos, the establishment at 1135 Greenleaf Avenue had become a community favorite.

It was 6:45 PM on the restaurant’s final day when I had just enough time to drive to Wilmette Subs one last time with a couple of friends after cross country practice. We piled in my car and drove over, speechless with the sudden realization that this would be our last trip to one of the best sandwich shops in the area.

Cars lined both sides of Greenleaf Avenue. Parking wasn’t available anywhere in sight so, ironically enough, we parked in the Panera lot across the street.

As we were walking in we ran into two friends, perhaps the biggest Wilmette Subs enthusiasts I’ve ever met. Charlie Bunge and Jack Josellis had frequented Wilmette Subs since it opened. Each of the seniors passed us teary-eyed, clearly distraught and holding free t-shirts that the storeowner had given them in appreciation for all of their support.

Bunge and Josellis actually met at Wilmette Subs. There, they created a friendship through their mutual appreciation of sub sandwiches.
“We were both frequent customers and we sort of knew each other,” said Bunge. “We bonded over our mutual love of local toasted sub sandwiches and it spawned a beautiful friendship.”

They weren’t ready to let go when the closing was announced. To help compensate for its shutdown, Bunge visited Wilmette Subs everyday for the eight days leading up to the official closing of the doors. Not to be outdone, Josellis went nine of the last ten days.

“I’ve done the math and I estimate that I’ve spent roughly $8,000 there since forth grade, when it was still a Quiznos,” said Josellis.

After talking with the heavyhearted Bunge and Josellis, we walked into the restaurant and saw a depressing version of what was once a powerhouse of fast and delicious Wilmette grub.

The soda machine was gone, the ice cream had all been sold, the bread selection was reduced to solely whole wheat, and the interior was beaten down and had begun to be torn apart. Despite all of this, the restaurant was still packed with a line almost out the door.

It was full of people who loved the sub sandwiches and were eager to get one last Wilmette Sub sandwich before the opportunity was gone forever.

We got to the front of the line by 7:15, where we were greeted by Mr. Lopez, the owner. Lopez always had a smile on his face and always made everyone feel welcome. I placed my usual order, a “classic Italian” sub sandwich without olives.

I took everything in for the final time; the aroma of subs slowly being toasted to perfection inside the oven, the fresh ingredients layered onto the sandwiches, the smell of freshly baked bread right out of the oven; I will miss it all. We slowly savored every bite of our sandwiches as we knew the end was near.

We took our last bites and stood up to walk out for the last time. The windows that lined the front of the store were covered with “thank you” cards expressing their support and gratitude for the Lopez family and acknowledging what a great family-run business Wilmette Subs was. We shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Lopez for the last time and walked to our cars somberly.

Not even a month into his post-Wilmette Subs life, Josellis is learning to cope without his go-to lunch spot.

“I miss the quick, cheap bite to eat, friendly faces, and the great Italian and ‘classic club’ sandwiches that were always fresh. [It wasn’t] the usual fast food feel these days.”

Bunge said, “It’s the saddest part of my life right now.”