Art hangs on the wall at Lola's Handcrafted Sandwiches in Tyler. Lola's has closed. (Tyler Morning Telegraph File)

While hundreds of social media users shared and commented on news that Lola’s Handcrafted Sandwiches was closing in January, Shawn Dunn’s response was a little different.

Dunn, 35, of Tyler, used social media to contact the shop’s owner and find out what it would take to keep the business running.

About two months later, Dunn and his wife Rebecca, 34, of Tyler, re-opened Lola’s in its original location on St. Patrick’s Day.

Despite the change in ownership, Dunn said they plan to keep the same recipes, theme and atmosphere that made the artisan sandwich shop popular.

“The food here is unbelievable,” Dunn said. “I love sandwiches. My wife and I are foodies and we lived in Oklahoma City; we lived in Dallas for a while. We’ve had a lot of good food but Lola’s, their sandwiches … are the best I’ve ever had.”

As the executive chef, Andrew Czop, 29, will continue to help the food maintain its signature flavor. He and his father, Chris, started the business in 2014.

Czop describes the work that he and other kitchen staff do as a labor of love. All the bread at the restaurant is cooked from scratch. Potatoes used for the shop’s homemade chips are cut with a mandoline slicer. 

There is no microwave in the kitchen. Czop said all of the restaurant’s meats are whole and primal cut and have no citric acid, stabilizers or sodium injections added.

The Chicago Beef sandwich, the sandwich Czop has eaten the most, is created by breaking down a bottom flat round of beef, roasting it to medium, slicing it thin and dipping it in au jus sauce before putting it on a roll with cheese and giardiniera relish.

“It’s spicy. It’s juicy. It’s messy,” he said. “It’s everything a sandwich should be.”

The TABC, which features turkey, avocado, bacon, cheddar and more, and Cuban sandwiches are the shop’s most popular and each cost around $10, about the same price of other sandwiches on the menu.

“We’re just trying to offer a little bit of cool and a little bit of authentic,” he said. “It’s sad that we stand out much as we do for offering those two things.”

#Lola Lives

Since doors reopened at Lola’s, Dunn and his wife have been the recipients of lots of thanks and other shows of appreciation.

At a recent event, a man Dunn didn’t know hugged him after hearing he’d reopened the business because Lola’s is his daughter’s favorite restaurant.

“He said, ‘I couldn’t be happier that you guys bought this place,’” Dunn said. “He’s a big dude. He raises his arms up and he says, ‘Bring it in.’”

Dunn said he believes Lola’s has the potential to grow, and while there will be no changes to recipes, there have been some additions to the menu.

Two cold sandwiches, the Heaven Can Wait and Asbury Park, can be prepared quicker than many of the other sandwiches and will help the kitchen complete some orders faster.

The Heaven Can Wait is the restaurant’s twist on a California Club and features turkey, provolone, avocado, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, sprouts and cilantro lime mayo. The Asbury Park is Lola’s version of an Italian sandwich and is made with ham, salami, prosciutto, lettuce, tomato, red onion, red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Other changes are slated to come in April and include plans for a fenced patio and an expanded drink menu. Lola’s has applied for a liquor license and is currently awaiting approval from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. If approved, Dunn said the business would extend its hours into the evening.

Lola’s now sells cupcakes that can be purchased at any price a customer is willing to pay. The profits from the “Cakes for a Cause” initiative will go to a different nonprofit or charity each month.

The Dunns own a local insurance company and although they didn’t have a second business on their radar, Dunn said they’re excited for this new chapter in their lives.

He hopes the community will continue to support the business and love its food and concept as much as he does. The hashtag #LolaLives seems to be gaining steam on social media and a T-shirt with the phrase is sold at the shop.

“It’s a community staple. It’s great food and it’s fun to see what restaurants can do in terms of bring people together,” Dunn said. “It’s amazing what conversations can be had over a table and breaking bread and having a beverage together.”

Lola’s Handcrafted Sandwiches, 16700 FM 2493 in Tyler, serves a variety of made from scratch sandwiches, soups and other dishes. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday.