About a month after opening, Fratello’s Inc., a new Italian sandwich shop in Kendall Yards, is operating at full capacity and is experiencing lines wrapped around the block, says owner Lauren Blumenthal.

“It’s exactly what we prayed it would be,” says Blumenthal. “It has far exceeded our expectations.”

Located at 1198 W. Summit Parkway, Fratello’s operates Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. On most days, the 300-square-foot restaurant sells out before closing. 

“Today, we made it to 1:35 p.m. before we ran out of four (different types of) sandwiches,” says Blumenthal's business partner CJ Callahan, who is the restaurant's chef.

Fratello’s is Blumenthal’s second Spokane restaurant. She opened Sorella Inc., an Italian fine-dining restaurant, in 2023 in the Kendall Yards neighborhood. Fratello means "brother" in Italian and sorella means "sister."

Blumenthal developed Fratello’s following the launch of Sorella, which is located about 350 feet west of the new sandwich shop, at 1122 W. Summit Parkway.

A hospitality veteran with restaurant management experience in Seattle, Blumenthal says she identified a gap in Spokane’s food landscape — a lack of authentic Italian-style sandwiches.

“We only have a small handful of places that are amazing for sandwiches,” Blumenthal says. “When it comes to business, in the way that I think about it from Spokane’s perspective, my goal is to always be able to fill holes of things that we’re missing. I thought that sandwiches, specifically Italian sandwiches, were something that would be well received by the community.”

To refine the concept, Blumenthal conducted extensive research, including culinary trips to New York City and Florence, Italy. She began planning two years ago but waited for the right timing and location to launch.

“I started thinking about it two years ago and we opened three weeks ago,” she says. “Sorella wasn’t really in the position yet to have what I’m calling a little brother, yet. Running two businesses is not for the faint of heart, but CJ has made it easy for me. I came to him with all my ideas for the sandwiches that I wanted to be on the menu … and after working through all the recipes, he really brought them to life.” 

Blumenthal and Callahan — a chef trained in Chicago with more than a decade of experience in high-end kitchens and four years in Spokane’s restaurant scene — met years earlier through mutual friends. They later connected professionally when Callahan’s wife, Libbey Callahan, a friend of Blumenthal's, suggested they collaborate.

"We've been friends for a while now and we feel very similarly about the overall culinary experience and what we both want to do in Spokane," Blumenthal says. "It's been an amazing partnership so far." 

Despite its small size and limited storage space, Fratello’s is outperforming Blumenthal's financial expectations so far. Blumenthal initially projected annual sales between $300,000 and $400,000, but current daily averages indicate the business is operating at about 30% above projections.

“Our daily sales are higher than we anticipated,” Blumenthal says.

The restaurant has adjusted its days of operation from Monday through Friday, to Tuesday through Friday, to accommodate prep work. 

“We have to use that Monday exclusively as a prep day,” Blumenthal says. 

Sorella is also performing strongly, she adds. The restaurant’s revenue has grown from $1.7 million in its first year, to $1.9 million in its second year, and is on track to reach $2.1 million this year.

Synergy between the two businesses has been essential, both Blumenthal and Callahan say. Fratello’s prepares its bread daily — including schiacciata, a bread that's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and sesame rolls — starting around midnight. Sauces are also made from scratch, and the shop borrows cooler space from Sorella.

Two of Fratello's five employees also work at Sorella.

“Now that we’re open, we rely so much on Sorella,” Blumenthal says. “That place could not function if we did not have Sorella.”

Fratello’s menu features nine sandwiches and a Caesar salad, most of which are named after notable TV and movie characters and celebrities.

Blumenthal says the top sellers are The Paulie Walnuts, a chicken cutlet sandwich with vodka sauce, mozzarella, and pesto; and The Sinatra, another chicken cutlet sandwich with prosciutto, pesto, and burrata.

“We sell out of those every day, without a doubt,” Blumenthal says. “We never have any chicken left.” 

Blumenthal's and Callahan’s shared philosophy is that less is more, as highlighted in an emerging favorite, The Elvira, which is Frotello's version of the classic caprese sandwich.

“It’s a caprese sandwich, which is kind of the most basic thing there is,” Blumenthal explains. “But the way we make it takes it so much further than being a basic caprese sandwich. It’s balsamic aioli, marinated tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, pesto, and that’s it. But we marinate the tomatoes in an olive oil and vinegar herb broth. This basically makes the sandwich unmatched. It’s so good.”

The sandwich’s popularity has grown so quickly, Callahan says, that the restaurant now goes through a five-pound bag of tomatoes in two days instead of a week.

Callahan’s favorite menu item, The Bourdain, honors the late chef, writer, and documentarian Anthony Bourdain.

“It’s a mortadella sandwich … with just pesto on one side and stracciatella cheese on the other,” he says. “And then a pile of mortadella, which is like the original bologna, and arugula. It’s just simple and delicious.”

The restaurant offers five indoor seats and 20 outdoor patio seats with heaters. Online ordering is expected to launch soon to help manage demand. 

“Our first day we sold 78 sandwiches, and our fourth day we sold 125,” says Callahan. “Now, we’re averaging about 110.”

Although early crowds wrapped around the block, Callahan says Fratello’s is getting faster and more efficient. 

"Everybody’s hope and dream is that you open a restaurant and it’s as well received, and as good to everyone else, as you think it is,” she says. “I think, honestly, Fratello’s has really blown everyone out of the water.” 

Small Bites

MaxStrength Fitness of Spokane has opened Nov. 3 in Spokane Valley at 2818 N. Sullivan Road, Suite 100-B. The fitness franchise offers 20-minute workout programs twice a week, according to its website.

Art & Fire Pottery Painting Studio, a paint-your-own-pottery business, has opened at 8160 N. Cornerstone Drive, Suite D, in Hayden.  Open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the company offers a large assortment of ready-to-paint pottery pieces, including plates, mugs, and holiday-themed items.