Summer Sizzle
Saturday, 31 January 2026
What’s for Lunch?
Featuring:
Jack Harris: Café D’Lish, Canberra
Lunchtime is the biggest revenue driver for cafes around Australia, and menus typically include a range of hot and cold meals to suit all appetites. However the humble sandwich is often underrated, despite its strong potential to boost takeaway and offsite catering revenue.
Even with the cost of living crisis and more people working from home, a quarter of Monday-Friday workers purchase lunch from foodservice venues, according to research by News Limited in 2025. This figure skews higher among younger consumers, and is a market that cafes, QSRs and sandwich shops can all tap into.
Around the world
At Café D’lish in Canberra, owner Jack Harris has made sandwiches the bedrock of his business model. Nicknamed ‘around the world’, by regulars, the menu features 17 sandwiches, each named after a different nationality. For example, The American includes roast turkey with cranberry, The Austrian features chicken schnitzel, while The Swiss has double-smoked ham and Swiss cheese.
“The Austrian is definitely the most popular, people love a schnitzel sandwich!” says Jack. “That’s followed by The Argentinian steak sandwich with egg and bacon. The French and the Indian are also very popular.”
Old school, new systems
A qualified chef, Jack began working at Café D’lish seven years ago and took ownership in 2024. The café has been in business for around 25 years and has built a loyal local following.
“This is a real old school kind of café, where people walk in and we know their name and their order, that’s what we strive for,” Jack says. “A lot of our customers have been coming for decades, so we have a very good roots within the community.”
Jack adds that he didn’t want or need to change much when he took over the business. “I’ve changed a few cosmetic things, just to bring it up to date and make it welcoming for younger people.”
He also added QR code ordering to save people waiting in a queue to order their meal. “I wanted to improve our systems to make it a little bit easier for people.” In addition, there is a more efficient ordering system for those who do line up, which Jack says has made a big difference for people wanting a quick takeaway.
“This is a real old school kind of café, where people walk in and we know their name and their order, that’s what we strive for.”
International cuisines, global trends
The internationally themed sandwich menu leans into Café D’lish’s location in the embassy district in Deakin. It also unintentionally plays into a rising consumer demand for world cuisines and nostalgic flavours.
According to global research company Datassential, after years of ‘elevated comfort food’, in 2025 menus returned to originals with minimal twists.
“Classic items like salami sandwiches, ham and cheese subs, meatball parmigiano, slow-cooked pork, and kung pao beef are trending again – proof that consumers crave authenticity over constant innovation,” the US-based company reports.
It advises operators, “Don’t overlook your heritage menu items. Sometimes the best ‘new’ dish is an old favourite executed exceptionally well.”
Flavour punch
Execution is top of Jack’s list at Café D’lish. Although the menu hasn’t changed, he tweaked some of the sandwich recipes when he took over.
“I want huge punches of flavour,” he explains. “So, if it says it’s tandoori chicken, there’s no mistake that it’s tandoori. What I’ve found is, if people can taste the flavour properly, they come back for more.”
Flavour and ingredient trends that Datassential has identified include Indian (especially vegetarian dishes), anything purple (cabbage, onions, potatoes, cauliflower, carrots), spicy-sweet combinations like hot honey, and contrasting textures like crunchy toppings on creamy bases.
“I want huge punches of flavour,” he explains. “So, if it says it’s tandoori chicken, there’s no mistake that it’s tandoori. What I’ve found is, if people can taste the flavour properly, they come back for more.”
Fresh, but strategic
“By far the most important thing is that we make our sandwiches fresh to order and, wherever possible, what gets sold here comes through the chef’s hands and is actually from us,” says Jack.
Bread rolls are baked in house, as are the cakes and slices in the mouthwatering display. Fillings, sauces, dressings and marinades are also made by the kitchen team.
Jack adds that it pays to be strategic though, saying some items are better to buy in, if the effort to make them does not translate to flavour or cost savings. For example, Jack buys all the wraps, as he can’t justify the effort to make them when he can purchase a quality product.
More revenue streams
A priority for Jack this year is building the catering side of the business, with mixed sandwich and wrap boxes proving to be a hit with the increased number of office blocks in the area.
Sample boxes are also on the menu at the café. “The only pre-made sandwiches we make are little trays of four triangles with different flavours,” Jack says. “That’s been a real success.”
“The only pre-made sandwiches we make are little trays of four triangles with different flavours,”
Flexible and resilient
In a market shaped by cost pressures, hybrid work and changing consumer expectations, the humble sandwich remains one of the most flexible and commercially resilient menu items.
With attention to flavour, production efficiencies and promoting catering and takeaway options, sandwiches rolls and wraps can be the heroes of your weekday trade. So don’t take them for granted any more, make 2026 your Year of the Sandwich!
Primo Foods has an extensive range of meats and smallgoods to build your sandwich menu. Or combine two to create a classic club sandwich!
Sliced, Shredded or Shaved Ham ideal for toasties, rolls, sandwiches and wraps.
Mild Hungarian Salami to pair harmoniously with Mediterranean and Eastern European flavours in any sandwich.
Pulled chicken, pork and beef, frozen for your convenience and ready when you need it for Mexican, Asian or American-style wraps and rolls.
Mild Sliced Hungarian Salami
8 x 1kg
It’s easy to create a sandwich list featuring international cuisines using Mission Foods’ range of tortillas and flatbreads.
Flour, Wholemeal or flavoured tortillas make great wraps to fit any theme. Try a toasted Cuban Wrap filled with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard; or a Caribbean Wrap filled with coconut and cashew-crusted chicken, hot jerk sauce, salad and guacamole.
Pita Pockets are perfect filled Greek char-grilled lamb, feta and tzatziki; Middle Eastern falafel and tabouleh; or Lebanese Kofta and goat’s cheese.
Naan and Roti are your go-to for Asian and Indian-inspired wraps. Think Indonesian satay chicken and salad roti wraps; Indian chicken tikka naan with mint yoghurt and mango chutney; or Chinese five spice pulled pork roti wraps.
10" Flour Tortillas
6 x 12 pack
Featured Products
American Hot Dogs
2 x 2.5kg
12" Spinach Tortillas
6 x 12 pack
Frozen Pulled Beef
5 x 1kg
12" Tomato Tortillas
6 x 12 pack
Imported Prosciutto
4 x 500g
5" Flour Tortillas
24 x 12 pack
Mild Sliced Hungarian Salami
8 x 1kg
10" Flour Tortillas
6 x 12 pack
Pulled Chicken Breast
5 x 1kg
10" Souvlaki Bread
12 x 5 pack
Pulled Pork
5 x 1kg
12" Black Sesame Tortilla
6 x 12 pack
Cheese Kransky
2 x 2.5kg
12" Flexipress Tortilla
6 x 12 pack
Diced Bacon
2 x 2kg
12" Flour Tortillas
6 x 12 pack
Ham Style Pizza Topping
6 x 2kg
12" Pumpkin Tortilla
6 x 12 pack
Kabana
5 x 2.13kg
12" Red Beet Tortilla
6 x 12 pack
Pizza Pepperoni Frozen
6 x 1kg
12" Thin Pizza Base
3 x 5 pack
Pork Belly Raw
3 x 4kg
6" Flour Tortillas
24 x 12 pack
Pork Chipolata
3 x 1.5kg
8" Flour Tortillas
12 x 12 pack
Rindless Bacon
2 x 2.5kg
9" Thin Pizza Base
8 x 6 pack
Shaved Ham
5 x 1kg
Large Gluten Free Burger Buns
20 x 1 pack
Shortcut Bacon
4 x 2.5kg
Large Pizza Base
3 x 7 pack
Shredded Julienne Ham
2 x 2kg
Mini Naan Bread
12 x 8 pack
Streaky Bacon
4 x 2.5kg
Roti Flat Bread Plain
10 x 6 pack
Thinly Cut Virginian Ham
5 x 1kg
Slab Pizza Base
6 x 2 pack
Traditional Pita
10 x 6 pack
