A former long-standing sandwich shop in the region has undergone a transformation and is now a bagel shop, with the new lessee recreating the former’s iconic signage as an ode to its legacy.
Great American Hero was one of the region’s oldest sandwich shops, surviving just under 50 years at several locations in Dallas, the longest being on Lemmon Avenue, near Oak Lawn.
Former owner of the sandwich shop Dominick Oliverie told The Dallas Morning News in 2021 that the Jersey-style sub shop is “too successful to stay open” and that he had hoped to last 50 years but was closing its doors after 47.
Oliverie sold the business to Danny Wilson and Jacob Cox, the owners of several bars in Dallas, who decided to shut down the Lemmon location and relocate Great American Hero to northeast Dallas, where it closed eight months later, as reported by the DMN.
New York native Justin Shugrue, a Southern Methodist University graduate, noticed a vacant building on Lemmon Avenue and decided to lease it to open his second Shug’s Bagel location. According to the DMN, the first Shug’s Bagel location has been operating on Mockingbird Lane since 2020.
Shugrue had a deep respect for Oliverie, which was reflected in his actions when, after he signed the lease for his new business venture, he shared the blueprints with Oliverie, reported the DMN.
Additionally, the Great American Hero sign had been an iconic symbol for many Dallasites for decades, and Shugrue was well aware of its significance. To pay homage to this beloved landmark, Shugrue recreated the sign for his business, Shug’s Bagels, replacing the shooting stars with images of bagels.
“People were so appreciative that we are tipping the hat to Great American Hero,” Shugrue told the DMN.
Shug’s offers a wide variety of bagels and spreads, egg sandwiches, deli sandwiches, cutlets, sweets, and classics such as the “Shug” – bacon, egg, and cheese with hashbrown – for breakfast and a Philly cheese steak for lunch. Shug’s Bagels’ full menu can be found here.
Shug’s Bagels’ newest location is at 4001 Lemmon Avenue in Dallas. It will be open each day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to its website.
It’s scheduled to officially open on November 4, 2023, per the DMN.
