There's a real closing date for The Great American Hero, the longtime sub shop at 4001 Lemmon Ave.
According to co-owner Danny Wilson, the shop will close in mid-August, when their lease is up. They'll relocate to a former Del Taco in a shopping center at Skillman Road and Northwest Highway, at 6216 Retail Rd., with a goal of opening in September.
Not to worry, the space on Lemmon Avenue has already been leased by a new tenant: Shug's Bagels, the bagel concept that debuted near SMU in 2020, will open a second location, taking the space after GAH leaves.
Owner Justin Shugrue said they'd be starting construction in August and hope to open in mid-2023. "The place needs a lot of work," he says.
Located in a vivid colorful house on the corner of Throckmorton Street, Great American Hero had been in flux for a year since founder Dominic Oliverie put it shop on the market in 2021.
This was his big cash-out and he wanted someone to buy both the property as well as the business. But the property had fallen into disrepair, with plumbing issues, electrical issues, and issues with the permitted use of the building. One plus is that the building will be able to keep its drive-thru window, which has great value on Lemmon Avenue.
Oliverie settled for two separate buyers: Developer Leland Burk bought the property, while Wilson and his partner Jacob Cox of Storefront Investments bought the Great American Hero name and menu concept for future franchising.
Wilson and Cox own Select Start arcade, Shot Topic in Deep Ellum, and Cream & Sugar, a coffee shop in Fairview.
They've owned GAH since January 1.
"We always knew this location would be temporary since Dominic sold the land prior to us selling the business," Wilson says. "The rent they were asking was a lot higher. I'll be curious to see if a bagel shop can make it."
He and Cox have dreams of turning GAH into a franchise.
"The trademark and the name are phenomenal," Wilson says. "We're undecided if we want to go with more corporate stores or straight into a franchise model."
Oliverie built a following as much for his quirky personality and convenient location as the sub sandwiches, with bestsellers that include the Godfather and the Italian.
"It's a Jersey-style sandwich shop but with better ingredients than the competition," Wilson says. "We're going to keep the same product, but are going to take the brand marketing of concept in a little different direction."
