It’s a late, non-descript December afternoon, and Simonetta Lee and her group of four millennials hunkered down at the far back table of Bob’s Submarine Sandwiches to take in a fading, once-quintessential Richmond experience — a no-frills Western greasy spoon tucked into a single-storey No. 3 Road strip mall.
“We heard it was closing and lots of people said good things about it. We thought we’d try it out,” said Lee, satiated after each bite of her fried chicken sandwich that rings in, with fries and a Coke, for just under $6.
Lee said many friends on Facebook were raving about Bob’s, located at Cook Road and No. 3, in the shadows of the recently-erected Mandarin Residences condo development, adjacent to the Brighouse Canada Line station.
When asked to rate her experience, Lee gives the thumbs up, describing tasty food at a price that begs questions and a unique throwback atmosphere.
“It has that unique, retro-style restaurant vibe. There’s an originality to it and it’s a different kind of service,” said Lee.
“And they have a lot of sauces,” interjects friend Joseph Pan.
Bob’s seats about 30 people. Its globular, yellow-tinted lighting hanging from a worn-out ceiling evokes the 1980s; and if it doesn’t then the vintage 7-Up fridge will; or, the round, glass coffee carafes that are presented in a welcoming self-serve manner.
That Bob’s is stuck in a bit of a time warp can also be seen with its prices. All-day breakfast is a calling card. Eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, toast and coffee; all under $5. Then there’s the likes of corned beef or steak and cheese subs, chicken salad and fried chicken.
Behind it all, and behind the grill that fronts the eating lounge, is the husband-wife team of Mi-Yeong and Frank Lee, both Korean immigrants from the early 1980s, who raised two children in Richmond.
For just over 25 years, the Lees have been searing hot subs to the delight of their audience.
Mi-Yeong, now 60, was born in the eastern port city of Busan, while Frank was born in the western port of Incheon, just outside Seoul. They came to Richmond to study but soon found Bob’s, operated by their friend Bob, who changed the name from its original title Paul’s Subs.
“That time it was very quiet in Richmond. Before this there was a London Drugs here, a long time ago. It was a small parking lot,” said Mi-Yeong.
The Lees have been searing processed meats and fresh buns on the grill ever since. And never once have they considered mixing their roots into the business, with some sort of Korean fusion, such as a kimchi sub.
“This food is Western food. I don’t want to mix it up, Korean food and Western food. The taste is wrong. We don’t want to screw up from the original recipe,” she said.
But now, after such dedication to the sub, their time is up in March, as the strip mall is slated for redevelopment.
There is no regret and much acceptance of fate.
“When you look at the long term of your life, when you do good things for you, good things follow.
“We know the time was going to come because all of the location is changing,” said Mi-Yeong.
Whether Bob’s is reincarnated elsewhere, time will tell. But retirement is certainly an option, she said.
“This is another chance to turn a new life,” said Mi-Yeong, who lives in the Blundell neighbourhood, where she says she enjoys the many conveniences of Richmond, such as nearby nature trails, the airport and shopping centres.
But finding a new place at the same lease rate will likely be difficult, acknowledges Mi-Yeong.
“Things are changing, I guess for the good, maybe some for the bad. I can’t say. Everyone sees it different,” smiles Mi-Yeoung, offering this reporter the Bob’s Super — seared steak on a submarine bun with cheese, lettuce and tomato; sauce of your choosing at the sauce table.
“Everyone has a different way of putting it. So they can do it there, by themselves,” explains Mi-Yeong of the sauce table, while manning the grill, as Frank takes a break to read a Korean book.
One can speculate whether the sauce table and self-serve coffee is a symbol of trust with Bob’s’ loyal customers or if it mitigates the work the Lees have to do, considering they take on little help. Or both.
Mi-Yeong explains that she and Frank do nearly everything at Bob’s.
“This is my home, it’s up to me. I could hire someone to open it up and close it but sometimes I cannot trust. Basically, I do the main things. In an emergency, we have someone closing.”
She said hard work has been the key to keeping prices low and her lunch crowd returning.
“When I wake up, I go to work and I’m glad I have to go to the work,” she said.
And, “when we raised the price once, we heard the economy was no good, so we didn’t do it again,” she said.
