A Fresno sandwich shop honors the USA and the father who shared a dream before dying
Spend a few minutes at north Fresno’s Eagle Sandwich Co. and it’s clear this is no soulless corporate chain.
The owner is making sandwiches behind the counter. He remembers a customer’s name without asking. He honors a man’s unusual request for an order of pickles — just pickles.
And there’s the picture of his dad on the wall. His dad was key to making this sandwich shop happen, but died just a few months before the shop opened.
Eagle Sandwich Co. opened in June in the RiverView Shopping Center near Starbucks at Friant and Fort Washington roads. It serves all the classic sandwiches, but also has a widely varied menu — and the “best French dip sandwich in town,” according to the owner.
It’s a family-run place, founded by Arnold Karaoglan in partnership with his mom, Janset, and “brother from another mother,” Ricky Hinojosa. Karaoglan is a 2005 Clovis West High School graduate, and a big patriot.
He originally wanted to name it Patriot Sandwich Co., but that name was taken. So, since the Clovis West mascot is the Golden Eagles, and it also implies patriotism, Karaoglan decided to run with Eagle Sandwich Co.
It’s in the decor, even on the menu, as “all sandwiches come presidential” — with mayo, mustard, etc.
“This is the American dream. I love our country,” he said. “Everybody from all walks of life can be anything you want to be.”
He doesn’t like how divided the country is right now, and figured he’d offer something everybody seems to like: sandwiches.
Food and family
Karaoglan worked in management in several restaurants, including as a district manager at one big sandwich chain he declined to name.
“I came home one day and I was like, ‘Dad, I don’t want to work for other people,’” he said.
His parents eventually decided to fund his dream to open his own sandwich restaurant. His dad bought all the equipment to build the kitchen in what used to be a screen-repair shop. His mom, who ran a bridal shop for 25 years, helped with everything else.
Karaoglan worked 12 hours a day delivering DoorDash orders to pay the rent on the space for a year and a half before the business could open.
“I was super blessed,” he said. “I have amazing parents.”
And his dad, Eser Karaoglan, was no sucker hoodwinked into giving money to his son.
The man had a Ph.D. in nuclear physics from Georgetown University. He was involved in starting the California Cancer Center, working with the accelerators used in nuclear medicine.
“He was the one who believed in me,” the younger Karaoglan said. “He wouldn’t have invested in anything if he didn’t think it would work.”
But he didn’t live to see it. His dad already wasn’t getting out much because of a bad hip. Then, in November of 2023, he died of a heart attack at age 79.
“He didn’t get to see the final opening,” said Karaoglan, who thought he’d have more time with him.
That’s why there’s a big statue of an eagle just inside the door. It was a gift from a cancer patient to his dad. And of course, the photo of his dad and his birth and death dates right above the it.
“It keeps his memory alive,” he said.
The sandwiches
As for the food, Karaoglan said he worked hard to offer a little something different than other sandwich places.
That French dip sandwich? The au jus sauce is not from a plastic packet steeped in hot water. It’s made from the actual juices the roast beef is cooked in, along with bone broth, herbs and spices.
“None of my food is the very cheapest thing I could get from a distributor,” he said.
There’s ham cooked with rosemary. The tri-tip sandwiches are made with certified Angus steak. And one of the vegetarian sandwiches is made from large king oyster mushrooms sliced thin.
Regular customer Wes Esquivel, who works at a nearby bike shop, gets his “usual,” a turkey sandwich that the workers start making as soon as he walks in the door. He’s also the one who took the picture of the shop on its first day of business that hangs on the wall.
“It’s very small business, very authentic. You can tell they care,” Esquivel said. “Arnold is very inviting and ... after talking with (him) a little bit and learning his story, it makes a lot of sense.”
Details: Eagle Sandwich Co. is at 9423 N. Fort Washington Road, Suite 105. 559-319-6899.
This story was originally published November 15, 2024 at 11:00 AM.
