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14 | 01907At Tony Lena's,it's all in the bread——— BY DAVID MCLELLAN ———Lena's founder, Sam Lena, with wife,Emma, at Lena's original store in SalisburyBeach, 1945.PHOTO COURTESY JENNIFER LENA VENUTI
SPRING 2020 | 15When Sam Lena startedthe Lena's sandwich shopbusiness 75 years ago, hiswife, Emma, had some words of advice:"Make every sandwich like you weregoing to eat it yourself."For the Lena family, that still meansmaking a sandwich with high-qualityingredients, especially soft bread that'scut "the right way," as Tony Lena wouldsay.Lena's was founded in 1945 by SamLena, whose son, Tony, took over thebusiness and changed the name to TonyLena's in 1973. A third generation ofLenas, sisters Tammy Lena Chambersand Jennifer Lena Venuti, have ownedtheir Tony Lena's Sandwich Shop since1991.They first opened on HighlandAvenue in Salem, and moved to theirlocation at 88 Cherry St. in Swampscottin 2005.Lena and his daughters recentlyreflected on their decades of workingat a "mom-and-pop shop" that doesn'tadvertise and relies on good ingredients,consistency, and word-of-mouth tothrive."We've always had high-qualityproducts, and with everything we did,"If you don'tsee the face,you're in thewrong placeTony Lena'smakes you gladyou're hungryLena said."All the Lenas use the same bread.It's a soft, French roll," he said.The Lenas have always used the samebread, all the way back to 1945, andconsider it critical to their success. In thepast, the supplier was Columbus BakingCo. in Beverly.Despite some changes in name andlocation, the Lenas bread has alwayscome from the same local Lauranzanofamily business, now known as JoeLauranzano Bread Products in Salem."People always tell us, 'You guys havethe freshest bread,'" Venuti said. "It'salways been important. If you don't havegood bread it's not going to taste thesame."Lena said the "soft bread" stands outfor its texture compared to the breadsmany other submarine sandwich shopsuse.But the bread, and sandwich as awhole, also has to be prepared properlyto keep customers coming back."You want me to tell another secret?"Lena asked."We cut the bread through," hesaid, using his hands to demonstrate aLENA'S, page 16
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