It all began in October 1999 when David Pepin and Peter Boniface pursued a shared dream of owning their own sandwich shop. And that dream continues today as Steamboat Springs-based Yampa Sandwich Company continues to expand into new markets.
Since the company’s founding, the Steamboat Springs men have watched the business grow. The company has eight stores in the state and hopes to add 15 to 20 stores across Colorado over the next few years. The company also plans to expand into various markets in Arizona, Texas and Utah.
“It’s a little daunting, but at the same time, we’ve been working hard over the last four, five, six years to build a platform to expand outside of Colorado – our training systems, our technology platform, our supply chain, our training team – so we have everything we need to support our business outside of Colorado, which is certainly a whole different world,” Pepin said. “We’ve done the work and we’re ready to go.”
The company is now looking for a multi-unit operator with what Pepin calls a “spirit of adventure,” who will have to pay a franchise fee of $45,000 plus the total initial investment required to open a 1,500-2,500-square-foot restaurant that can seat at least 30 diners.
Pepin said Yampa Sandwich Co. has already identified an additional 35 trade areas in which it could operate in Colorado, in addition to the eight company-owned franchises that already exist.
“We may open one more this year, maybe two more,” Pepin said, “but it will probably be closer to 2025, depending on how things go, before we have two more in the state, and we’ve already started having those conversations.”
Pepin and Boniface have been friends since they were teenagers and business partners for 25 years. The two started out as Backcountry Provisions in Old Town Square at 635 Lincoln Ave., where they found local success selling freshly made sandwiches. In 2019, they changed the name to Yampa Sandwich Company, paying homage to the Yampa River that runs through Steamboat Springs, as well as the town where they got their start and the adventure that inspired them to open the sandwich shop in the first place.
“We’re both turning 55 this year, and have been business partners for 25 years and best friends for almost 40,” Pepin said. “That chemistry, that passion, is what has gotten us to where we are today. We both have a very clear vision for what we want to do, and we try to stay focused on what we’ve always done.”
A few years ago, the pair brought on Dave Michel, owner of five Denver stores, as a partner, a move that helped Yampa Sandwich Co. grow outside of Steamboat Springs and bring its 17 sandwich varieties to new markets.
“We don’t just make sandwiches. We nourish the adventures of everyday life, whether that’s hiking a great mountain or surviving an afternoon meeting,” Pepin said. “Yampa Sandwich Co. nourishes people’s bodies, minds and lives.”
John F. Russell is a business reporter for Steamboat Pilot & Today. He can be reached at 970-871-4209, emailed at jrussell@SteamboatPilot.com or followed on Twitter at @Framp1966.
