Here is how the West Coast Sourdough interior is expected to look. Photo courtesy of West Coast Sourdough

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Last July, San Francisco-based West Coast Sourdough announced plans to open a new 2,400-square-foot sandwich restaurant in Citrus Heights at 6920 Auburn Blvd., Suite 150 in Stock Ranch located across from an Applebee’s restaurant by fall 2023.

That intended opening date failed to “rise” as the construction of other locations by the company took priority.

“West Coast Sourdough has opened over 10 new stores in California in the last six months, including locations in the Roseville Galleria, Placerville, Sacramento, Elk Grove and Folsom,” said Karndeep (Kay) Uppal, president of West Coast Sourdough in a telephone interview.

“Construction work at the Citrus Heights location has since resumed and we’re now looking for a June opening date,” Uppal said.

In 2023, West Coast Sourdough signed a lease for a 2,400-square-foot end space where other nearby tenants include Crumbl Cookies and Sport Clips, a hair styling salon. The plaza also includes Costco and a Walmart Superstore.

West Coast Sourdough, founded in 2020, serves sandwiches, soups and salads. Uppal said the franchise operates 31 sites throughout California and is expected to grow to 40 locations by the end of the year.

“The start of construction for the Citrus Heights store was caused by a mix of factors and we did experience delays through the construction permit process, as we are often at the mercy of the involved architects, plan reviewers and engineers involved in the process. It’s also how the construction pipeline of our new stores fell,” Uppal said.

 The West Coast Sourdough store is expected to open in June at 6920 Auburn Blvd., Suite 150, Citrus Heights. Photo courtesy of Tom Sullivan

“Some of our new stores are located as far south as San Diego, so many the various West Coast Sourdough corporate-approved construction crews have had limited availability to start their work,” Uppal said.

In an earlier interview, Uppal said the Citrus Heights space is about twice the size of a typical store. The company struck a partnership in 2023 with Peet’s Coffee, based in Berkeley, to sell its coffee and coffee-style beverages in all its new locations, including Citrus Heights.

The Citrus Heights store’s intended floor plan hasn’t changed since it was first announced but some new interior design changes are being incorporated, Uppal said.

The combo of sandwiches and Peet’s Coffee is likely to be a consistent part of West Coast Sourdough’s business model as it continues to look to future expansion in California. The decision to include Peet’s Coffee will depend upon each future location’s available space, Uppal said.

In the coming months, West Coast Sourdough expects to hire between 15 and 20 team members, which will be a mix of full- and part-time members. Sandwich makers will probably eventually be cross trained as coffee baristas, Uppal said.