In this edition of Pottstown Foodie, Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches, located in Pottstown, has earned a place in dining history. It received a ranking among Yelp’s first-ever list of Top 100 Sandwich Shops in the United States. Also:
- Interested in obtaining a Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board license available in Berks County? Sealed bids are due by Oct. 6; and
- Spare change donated by diners Taco Bell resulted this month in a community grant to a Montgomery County non-profit. Others groups across the state also benefited.
A Milestone Moment for Grumpy and Its Sandwiches
POTTSTOWN PA – Gene (often known as “Grumpy”) and Sheila Dugan, owners and operators of Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches at 137 E. High St., were away from home when they heard the news. Friends contacted them to happily report the Dugans’ business had earned a spot on new list of recommended restaurants.
That would be the Aug. 14 (2025; Thursday) inaugural presentation of “The Top 100 Sandwich Shops of 2025.”
It was published by California-based data-and-review compiler Yelp Inc. Grumpy’s landed at No. 85 on the list, with a highly favorable rating of 4.8 of 5 stars. The Dugans were delighted by the national attention. “We appreciate it!,” Sheila Dugan wrote in an e-mail.
In creating the list, Yelp says it first identified businesses in the sandwich category, then ranked them using a number of factors. They included the total volume and ratings of reviews.
Top photo from Getty Images on Unsplash+, used by Travels With The Post under license
Time-Consuming, But Timely
It was a time-consuming process, Yelp’s authors acknowledge. The compilation apparently began around May. The list’s August release, containing Grumpy’s appearance, was timed to coincide with the annual observance of National Sandwich Month.
For restaurants owners, ratings published by Yelp and its competitors can be a boon if complimentary, or a bust if complaint-filled.
Diners care about what their neighbors think of food taste, quality, and value. They also consider restaurants’ special features, atmosphere, cleanliness, and service. Potential future customers seem inclined to act on, or react to, what reviewers say.
What’s at stake? A Newsweek article on Yelp’s list reports that U.S, residents eat 300 million sandwiches a day. Among chefs who sell sandwiches for a living, even a slice of those sales may amount to a huge loaf of revenue.
Turkey’s Recommended, But Be Specific
Shelia recommends the six different turkey sandwiches on Grumpy’s menu, primarily because she hears customers order them frequently. Most popular, she says, are:
- The Hot Gobbler, described as “chef-carved turkey, roasted red peppers, pepper jack cheese, and chipotle mayo sandwich; and
- The Turkey Special, with chef-carved turkey, coleslaw, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing.
There are others too, earning restaurant reviewers’ praise for its “terrific variety,” with “wonderful rolls and toppings.” See its menu of offerings online. Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Berks County Restaurant License Goes Up for Auction
HARRISBURG PA – An expired restaurant license available in Berks County is one of 25 licenses being put up for auction by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, it reports. Sealed bids for any of the 25 must be submitted to the board by Oct. 6 (2025; Monday) at noon, it adds.
The board announcement did not identify the Berks restaurant that previously held the license. None of the 25 were attributed to Montgomery or Chester counties.
The minimum bid for each license is $25,000. Each bid must be accompanied by a bid surety of $5,000 or 5% of the total bid amount, whichever is higher. The requirement intends to avoid frivolous and underfunded bids, the board states. Bids will be opened Oct. 9 (Thursday), and auction winners will be determined soon thereafter, it also says.
The board notes the upcoming auction is the 14th held since August 2016. To date, revenue from previous auctions totals $37.9 million. An additional $1.2 million remains in escrow, pending license approvals.
Above photo by Zetong Li on Unsplash, used by Travels With The Post under license
Spare Change at Taco Bell Results in Local, State Grants
IRVINE CA – Maybe you patronized a Taco Bell restaurant in the past 12 months. If you rounded-up the value of your purchase to a whole-dollar amount as a donation, it was felt nationwide during August (2025). It was put to use in Pennsylvania, too, and specifically in Montgomery County.
The Taco Bell Foundation Inc., the fast-food company’s charitable arm, this month distributed a combined total of $28 million in community grants to nearly 500 non-profit organizations. That’s a $5 million increase over the previous year. Much of the boost is being attributed to diners’ spare change.
The foundation reports that Taco Bell’s hungry donors raised their purchase values by an average of 44 cents. Its fund-raising campaign even won national recognition for the achievement.
The award winner in Montgomery County was the Bala Cynwyd-based Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer. Other Pennsylvania recipients were in Lancaster, Philadelphia, Erie, Pittsburgh (2), Bridgeville, and Altoona PA. Specific amounts for each recipient were not identified.
Above photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash, used by Travels With The Post under license
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