‘Club Sandwich’ Closed for Two Weeks After Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19

A locally owned and hugely popular sandwich shop in downtown New Canaan is closing for two weeks after an employee there tested positive for COVID-19 virus, its owners say. Club Sandwich will reopen after the Thanksgiving holiday, according to town resident Jennifer Gaspar, who owns the Cherry Street mainstay with her husband, Leo. “We are really sad to say it but we just found out west that someone who works for us tested positive and so we decided we had to follow the CDC guidelines and close down for two weeks,” Jennifer Gaspar told NewCanaanite.com. 

Asked what is her message to customers, she said, “We are really sad to disappoint them and not be available for them but we want to keep our community healthy and safe, and our customers—they are our friends, too—and our employees and ourselves, so we are doing the right thing to keep everyone healthy and safe.”

The temporary closure comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said during a Board of Selectmen meeting Tuesday morning that “we are seeing an uptick if not a spike now in terms of the number of cases for New Canaan residents.”

Businesses such as Club Sandwich have worked under a series of public health-related restrictions since the onset of coronavirus disease here in March. Even taking precautions and following Connecticut Department of Public Health guidelines, “it can still happen,” Jennifer Gaspar said, referring to having an employee test positive.

Biz on Biz: Club Sandwich Spotlights Walter Stewart’s, Toy Chest

Club Sandwich has occupied its Cherry Street space for more than 30 years, and is a trusted mainstay for its tasty sandwiches, drinks and snack offerings. In 2008, Leo Gaspar took over management of the establishment with his wife Jennifer playing an active role in the business as well. Asked about her favorite products and services offered by other local businesses, Jennifer Gaspar spotlighted Walter Stewart’s Market. “We grocery shop there,” Gaspar said. “They’ve remodeled and it looks really nice.”

As a mother, Gaspar noted the high quality of Walter Stewart’s selection.