Subway Sandwich Artist Leaves Over Creative Differences
By Joel Hagen
In a fit of frustration, Subway sandwich artist, Patrick Stone, walked off the job Monday over creative differences during a busy lunch hour.
Manager of the restaurant off Interstate 94 in Fargo, Tom Lousinski, admitted to the problem.
“Patrick was just a tough guy to work with and in the end, we decided to go our separate ways,” he said. “We couldn’t reach a common vision in the work.”
Stone, still upset over the split, said he felt stifled by the strict restrictions put upon him by Subway and the customers. He said he could create sandwich masterpieces that explode with flavor if only given the chance.
“Some customers just don’t realize that the Tuscan vinaigrette is an essential element of the new Tuscan Chicken Sandwich,” Stone said. “It accentuates the flavors of the fire-roasted onions and peppers for God’s sake.”
It isn’t just the sauces that caused Stone consternation, but many other items as well.
“Three cheeses. That’s all we have to work with – white American, Monterey cheddar and pepperjack. Can you imagine Michelangelo trying to paint the Sistine Chapel with three colors? It’s ridiculous. Did I mention the pop?”
He did. Stone believed his sandwiches should be served with a 2003 Bordeaux or a Seghesio Zinfandel, not Coke products, since the carbonated water in soda eviscerates the “delicate combinations” of “layered subtleties.”
His co-artists detailed other eccentricities of their fellow sandwich artist.
“He was always folding the paper napkins into swans,” said Amanda Shores, who worked with Stone over the past year. “Sometimes, when there were 10 people in line, he would start over on a sandwich if he found out a customer wanted onions after the green peppers were already on there. It had to be ‘just right.’ What kind of name is ‘Stone’ anyway? I bet that’s some pretentious artsy name.”
Stone was also accused of switching the radio station to classical and dimming the lights in the restaurant on occasion.
“They just don’t understand a thing about atmosphere. I want to create the perfect sandwich, many times a day, and atmosphere accounts for much of that,” he said.
Lousinski claims to have witnessed Stone bringing in dressings made at home along with plates, freshly butchered chickens and sprigs of parsley. Stone has also been known to throw a sandwich on the floor and walk away when customers ask for “cukes” instead of cucumbers.
“I should have realized our creative paths were diverging when he first refused to toast a cold cut combo, which he said would dry out the savory meats,” he said. “He also complained that having Cheese Steak and Chipotle Southwest Cheese Steak on the menu was ludicrous.”
“It is,” Stone said. “They’re the same sandwich. One just has Chipotle sauce. We don’t name each sandwich on the menu for all the combinations of the sauces.”
Stone said he has learned much during his apprenticeship as a sandwich artist and hopes to soon continue creating his works at a nearby Quizno’s.