ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Even before the pandemic, opening a restaurant has always been a risky proposition.

What You Need To Know

  • Longtime couple Christian Sparcino and Liz Dean opened Off the Wall Sandwich Co. in Orchard Park this September
  • Sparcino and Dean have worked in WNY restaurants for decades and have been together for 12 years
  • Their biggest obstacles have been reduced seating capacity, adhering to strict health protocols, and hiring enough staff
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That’s why longtime restaurant workers Christian Sparcino and Liz Dean thought about opening a franchise, traditionally a safer bet. Their lifelong dream held a strong pull, though, and they pulled the trigger to open Off the Wall Sandwich Company in Orchard Park, taking over a space previously occupied by Yotality.

“We just love food, and we wanted to give people something that we created and bring back to our community,” says Dean.

“[We wanted] the freedom to express ourselves through our art, which is culinary,” says Sparcino. “Family-oriented, and we want to be able to just express ourselves.”

Family-oriented isn’t just a cliché here – Liz’s son and two nephews work as line cooks, whipping up locally-inspired items like Buffalo-style french fries and the Billz Mafia burger. One of OTW’s most popular offerings features bleu cheese, bacon, and chicken wing dip.

“When we tailgate, if we go out, somebody makes chicken wing dip,” says Dean. “Somebody’s frying up burgers. You’ve got to have the bleu cheese. Not ranch.”

Dean and Sparcino face two big challenges because of COVID-19 – keeping the kitchen of full of employees, and making sure everyone adheres to new health standards.

“Hopefully, just making sure that we’re doing everything on our end to make sure we’re up to health department codes,” says Ryan Bratek, OTW’s head chef.

“With the unemployment, $600 a week, nobody wants to work because they’re getting the money for free,” says Sparcino.

Things look promising so far, and Sparcino has faith that their burger shop can survive the pandemic.

“We understand that there are going to be issues here and there, and we’re going to butt heads,” he says. “But we know that we love each other and we care about each other. We’re going to persevere and make it through everything.”

And feed a lot of hungry Western New Yorkers along the way.​