Yesterday we decided to pickup sandwiches from Schlotzsky’s. Every time I eat an “Original” the taste memories pulls their magic trick, and I find myself stepping into the original location on South Congress with friends. It was early in 1972 and “the Original” was already famous amongst the students at the University of Texas.
It would be half a lifetime before I had another taste. Once they began opening up stores around the country it became easier to indulge. So once in a while I talk my wife into letting me indulge in a walk down memory lane.
On June 29, 1971, husband and wife team Don and Dolores Dissman opened a little deli on South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas.
The Untold Truth Of Schlotzsky’s By Crysta Coburn Aug. 22, 2022
As it was explained in the Mashed article…While in New Orleans the Dissman’s “discovered a sandwich called the muffuletta at an Italian grocery store in the French Quarter. A muffuletta is a large loaf of bread stuffed with olive salad and a variety of Italian deli meats and cheeses,”
The company history has this to say about the beginning…
When bell bottoms were in (the first time) and not just hippies had long hair, a tiny sandwich shop in Austin, Texas, was opened by local entrepreneur Don Dissman. He sold only one kind of sandwich, and came up with a slogan touting just how delicious his creation was: ‘Just one sandwich … it’s that good.’ Austin residents evidently agreed; Dissman’s eight-inch round sandwich, served warm, consisted of ham, two kinds of salami, and three cheeses (melted cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan). Yet the finishing touches of shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, marinated black olives, garlic, and spices made a Schlotzsky’s sandwich the talk of the town. The foundation of the sandwich though was its lightly toasted sourdough bun, baked fresh daily from a ‘secret’ recipe. The sandwich soon had a following in Austin and word spread throughout Texas.
Which brings me back to living in the moment… 55 years later. Mmmmmmm, and the moment tasted just like my memory said it should. And while I don’t like to live in the past, a quick visit every month or two… or three is a nice little stroll.
Now as I count down to my birthday here’s a song that has always resonated with me. It was back shortly before The Loew’s State Theater closed in 1972 that they played a Beatle’s Marathon. All the Beatles movies one after the other in one day. To this day I have two memories of the time… One was walking into the theater and feeling high before you reached the doorman. It was a walk of more than 100 feet. The other memory was the movie Yellow Submarine.
I don’t know how many times in my life I’ve found myself singing this song to myself. And it still feels relevant today…
