Owner Matt Morrissey says the name and concept for Wayward Sandwiches, his new combination sandwich shop and wine bar, emerged out of the jokey idea of the restaurant being a “home for lost sandwiches.” The tagline was eventually dropped, but the name stuck, and Wayward Sandwiches itself will soon have a home of its very own: in the approximately 2,300-square-foot, first floor commercial space located on the west end of the new Dahlia building.
Morrissey is a West Linn resident and first-time restaurant owner, though he has over two decades of experiences in the hospitality industry, including managing the Veritable Quandary, one of the most well-known and beloved restaurants in Portland until it closed two years ago. Morrissey had previously been part of a group that was hoping to install Modest City Brewing in the old police building next door, but they were unable to secure the hefty capital needed for the buildout of a restaurant and brewery in the historic structure.
That won’t be an issue in this case. Morrissey declined to discuss specific dollar amounts, but did confirm that he has secured an SBA loan to fund the initial investment and also has a local contractor in place to execute his vision for the new sandwich shop and wine bar.
“We’ll primarily be a sandwich shop, with counter service,” Morrissey said. “In addition to being a sandwich shop, we’ll also be a bottle shop. We’ll have somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 wines, sold by the bottle, in custom racks.”
The menu will offer house sandwiches — basically their unique takes on the classics, like a Romanian pastrami Reuben or a Cajun chicken club — or you can make your own. They’ll have soups and salads as well.
Since Matt and I both agree that, for us anyway, sandwiches often go better with beer, Wayward will have a selection of craft brews, both bottled and on tap. They’ll also do growler fills. The wine bar will offer vino by the bottle or glass, and they’ll have cheese plates, charcuterie boards and other nibbles for folks who are looking to sip and linger.
In all that they do, freshness, quality and local sourcing will be guiding principles.
“We’re interested in making from scratch a large percentage of what we do,” he said. “And that’s not something you can necessarily find. There aren’t a lot of scratch kitchens in Canby.”
The look and feel of the place will be modern, with minimalist influences, Morrissey says. “There will be a lot of wood on display,” was one way he described it. The furnishings are all being done by Hayes & Sons, the local custom-build furniture shop.
So, why Canby?
“I think that Canby is a very attractive community that does a great job of balancing a small town feel with a city-sized population. And I think Canby could use delicious sandwiches.”
Mary Hanlon, founder and principal of Hanlon Development, which is the managing member of the Dahlia and is leading the redevelopment of the Canby Civic Block, says they are thrilled to add Wayward as the Dahlia’s first commercial tenant.
“Wayward Sandwiches is one more step in creating the block as an amenity for the Dahlia Apartment residents and a destination location for all of Canby and the surrounding communities,” Hanlon said.
She said the sandwich shop and wine bar fits in perfectly with the overall vision the development team has always had for the block, which includes restaurants and active retail centered around community spaces like the existing dahlia mural and a future full block courtyard (which Wayward will open up onto).
“With all of that, coupled with the historic renovation of city hall, the repurposing of the police building and the former Canby Utility building, we are creating a unique enclave in Canby,” Hanlon said. “We are all working toward something special, and Matt shares that vision.”
Morrissey says Wayward will open later this year, perhaps as early as late summer or in the fall.
