Saddle Up for Sandwiches (and More) at Rodeo Food & Beverage

For some people, the sandwich’s simplicity is what makes it the lunch option of choice. But for Izzy Czechowicz, this humble but versatile meal represents a world of possibilities. “There’s so much creativity in sandwiches; you have a base of bread, but then you can have so much fun and add whatever you like – it means you can really experiment.”

The young business owner has done exactly that with Rodeo Food & Beverage, a new sandwich store with a twist. There are just six options on the menu board, and since opening in July the Rodeo Reuben has emerged as a clear favourite with customers. Packed with thick slices of pastrami and Swiss cheese, housemade pickles, sauerkraut and a secret Rodeo sauce, it’s a formidable meal. But each staff member seems to have a different favourite, whether it’s the jalapeno and buttermilk Fried Chicken sandwich or the Vegan Tuna Melt favoured by Ali, who recommends it even to non-vegans.

She’s one of twelve staff members, and the venue is so cosy that it would be a struggle to fit them all in at the same time. Czechowicz laughs that “even though it’s a small space, it’s got a lot of personality,” and describes the mix of bold colours and prints from tattoo artists’ flash sheets that decorate the interior as “organised chaos”.

Her original concept for the store, conceived with co-owner Fraser Monfries, was to run it as a takeaway space, doing coffees and a short menu in the morning before pivoting to lunchtime sandos. “But people are really enjoying the space and wanting to dine in so we want to expand on that,” she says, suggesting she’ll try to install some tables for outdoor dining.

Adding to the vibrant tableau of life on The Parade is all part of the fun for Czechowicz, who practically grew up on the strip. Not only did her grandparents own Wards Shoes, she went to school at St Ignatius College and met Monfries while working at Hoyts, which lies just across the road from their new venture. “The Parade has been like my home for so long, I feel like it was just meant to be,” she says of Rodeo’s location. “There are so many different types of communities here. If there’s a game on Saturdays, everyone will come in wearing their Norwood uniforms and this morning a few schoolkids came in for smoothies and frappes which was super cute. It's really nice seeing the different personalities of The Parade coming together here.”