Sandwich shop owner sees opening in north Eugene.

Byline: Retail Notebook by The Register-Guard

LOCAL HERO: Kevin Wells figures everyone loves a sandwich.

This week, he's beginning to find out if people like his sandwiches enough to buy them again and again.

Wells on Wednesday opened a Big Town Hero sandwich shop in north Eugene on Crescent Avenue, east of Coburg Road. His eatery is the first business in a new retail building, next to a US Bank branch, and across the street from vacant land where PeaceHealth first proposed building a new hospital, later switching to the current Gateway site.

Development group Triton Properties LLC, headed by Eugene radiologist Chuck McGlade, constructed the retail building at a cost of about $600,000.

A hair salon, jewelry store and coffee shop, are expected to set up shop in the 9,700-square-foot building in the next couple of months.

Big Town Hero is a Portland-based, submarine-style restaurant outfit with about 40 locations.

Christi and Stan Rapp own the franchise on 13th Avenue near the University of Oregon Bookstore.

Wells is a former legislative aide who last year ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Eugene City Council. He's spent more than a year and about $100,000 to open the business, including more than $50,000 to finish and equip a 1,600-square-foot space.

Wells expects his business to do well. A Taco Bell is the only other restaurant in the area, and Wells said there seems to be demand from residents and from people who work nearby.

Wells said he's hired eight employees to staff the shop 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The other retailers planning to join Wells in the building are Guenter's Jewelers, Pzazz Hair Salon, and Early Rise Coffee & Tea Co. The building has 3,000-square feet of space left to rent at a monthly rate of $1.45 per square foot, plus a share of insurance, utilities and common area maintenance costs.

BLISSFUL IN VENETA: Saying that much of their business had been killed by the recession and by Eugene's smoking ban, Darren and Margo Bliss last month closed Bliss' Steak Ranch on West 11th Avenue.

Now, the couple and a new business partner are hard at work on opening Bliss' Sports Bar & Grill in Veneta. The establishment will be in the West Lane Center on Highway 126, anchored by Ray's Food Place.

The sports bar, aiming for a March opening, will have the same menu as the Blisses' former restaurant. The spot, finished and equipped at a cost of about $50,000, will be owned by their friend, Springfield contractor Dennis Covert.

After Eugene in 2001 imposed its smoking ban in public places, including bars, many Steak Ranch customers who smoked fled to bars outside Eugene's city limits. So the Blisses decided to follow their customers.

By business reporter Edward Russo. Retail Notebook runs Thursdays. To include items, call 338-2359, or e-mail [e-mail].