By Daryll Nanayakara

THE humble sandwich now means more than just two slices of bread and some lettuce.

Gourmet sandwiches which use fresh ingredients are cornering the market, with overall business going up by as much as 25 per cent in the past year, say industry insiders whom my paper spoke with.

To meet the growing demand, two major sandwich chains have opened new outlets over the past month.

American sandwich chain Subway opened its 50th outlet at Liang Court in Clark Quay in late June, while The Sandwich Shop added a new outlet at Changi Business Park to its crop of four outlets.

They, along with O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bars, have experienced a steady increase of between 30 and 40 per cent in the number of locals who patronise the stores - a change from when the customer base was initially predominantly made up of expatriates several years ago.

Sandwiches present consumers with more choice than regular local fare too.

Mr Tim Alexander, 26, an accountant, said: "Not only are sandwiches a convenient, healthier option, they're a nice change from your usual rice and noodle dishes." The fast pace of life also plays a part in the growing demand for sandwiches, which are often treated as fast food - minus the artery-clogging fat.

Yet there are those who are doubtful of the boom in the business.

Take, for example, Pret A Manger, which opened in 2006 and closed just a year later. The well-known London chain was brought in by Mr Ricky Chew, managing director of Fish & Co. restaurants. But according to Mr Chew, it was because the new managing director of Pret Hong Kong had wanted "energies and efforts channelled into the emerging China market" and not because of a slowing of business.

Yet he added that while "the shop was making money", the amount "was not colossal enough" to justify the shop's existence in Singapore.

Still, most sandwich chains remain optimistic of the industry's growth potential.

Currently, companies like Subway, The Sandwich Shop and O'Briens have close to 70 outlets altogether. Subway boasts an impressive 50, O'Briens 14 and The Sandwich Shop four. Another player in the business is Simply Sandwich, which has three outlets in the city area.

And the expansion is not going to stop there.

Mr Raphael Chan, country director for Subway Singapore, revealed that Subway, which has been in Singapore since 1996, is going to take an aggressive tack.

They are looking into the possibility of opening a whopping 10 additional outlets by the end of the year. That may include moving into several of the local polytechnics.

Similarly, O'Briens said it will venture further into the Central Business District and the various shopping malls around the island.

"Customers want greater convenience where they work and play," said Mr Chan of the demand for sandwich shops.

"There is a lot of of potential in this market, so we will open more doors to accommodate these demands."

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