Mel’s California Hoagies, a carry-out restaurant serving a variety of submarine sandwiches, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting celebration at 813 Maple Ave. in Homewood on Tuesday, June 10.
Mel Lee, who’s originally from Sacramento, California, owns the restaurant with his wife, Tudy Lee. Previously, for about two years, Mel’s California Hoagie’s was inside the BP gas station at 3950 Vollmer Road in Flossmoor.
“We have a lot of different hoagies – not just the turkey hoagie that’s Illinois or Chicago’s type of thing,” Tudy said. “We have the tri-tip sirloin hoagie, and that’s a California type of hoagie. It’s a smoked sirloin steak.”
“Food has always been my passion,” Mel said, adding that he used to cook for friends when he lived in California. “I only make sandwiches that I can cook real good.”
Mel’s California Hoagies has a cartoon mascot, a subway sandwich with wide eyes, a huge smile, a black hat with the restaurant’s logo and two skinny legs. Images of the mascot are displayed throughout the restaurant, including a life-size version next to the checkout counter.
Comedic and inspirational metal signs decorate the restaurant walls, with messages such as “No Drama Zone” and “Whenever They Doubt You, Use that Doubt as Fuel.”
Many menu items at Mel’s are named after the owners’ deceased family members. Tudy said that this began with three sandwiches dedicated to Mel’s mother and grandfather and Tudy’s mother.
“We had young family members pass away, like Roy Lee Jr. He passed away from being in a hit-and-run car accident. His best friend, ‘Little Red,’ he passed away. He was unfortunately killed,” Tudy said. “These were younger people, and we were like, ‘We have to honor them.’”
Tudy said the corn beef sandwich is named after “Little Red” because he was “short and light-skinned like a red bone,” and the veggie sandwich is named after Tudy’s mother because she was a pescetarian.
The kid’s menu item, the Bebe’s Kid, a 4-inch turkey submarine sandwich with chips and juice, is named after the 1992 animated movie, “Bebe’s Kids.” A drawing that’s a homage to three characters from the film is displayed on the menu hanging on the wall.
Mel’s California Hoagies offers a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle that customers can assemble while waiting for their food. They also have a 32-page coloring book featuring their restaurant’s mascot on the cover, available on Amazon. Tudy said it teaches kids dining etiquette and how to order food.
During the grand opening celebration, the owners provided Homewood village officials with free water bottles and keychains featuring the restaurant’s logo.
“It’s very nice to have a hoagie place in town,” Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld said. “Come on out and try it. It’s easy to find. It’s right across the street from McDonald’s and right behind the currency exchange on Halsted.”
Mel’s California Hoagies is open Sunday from noon until 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. The business is closed on Mondays.
Mel’s California Hoagies can be reached at (708) 668-2395.
