Photo by Kelly Irwin
Sammy’s, a new sandwich and coffee shop from longtime friends and restaurant veterans Sam Pinner and Jason Furst, is now open in Adair Park. Located at Abrams Fixtures—a mixed-use development home to Ryokou, 7th House, and the Vine Club—the shop brings chef-driven food and drinks to 565 Northside Drive Southwest, bringing to life a longtime dream.
“It’s something that Sam and I have talked about doing for a really long time,” says Furst, who serves as both general manager and bar manager. “Who doesn’t love a good sandwich? I love sandwiches—I try to eat as many as I can on a regular basis.”
Photo by Kelly Irwin
Pinner and Furst, who met attending Paideia, worked together at KR SteakBar, Kevin Rathbun Steak, and on a Bainbridge Island barbecue pop-up. Pinner went on to the opening team at Atlas and BoccaLupo, while Furst led the beverage program at Rathbun and later joined BoccaLupo as general manager. “Our partners also went to Paideia. We’ve known each other for a long time,” Furst says.
At Sammy’s, Pinner draws on his fine dining background while channeling years of experience smoking meats. He smokes pork butt for the Uncle Sam’s Cuban sandwich. For a take on a reuben called the Samuel, he brines the pastrami before finishing it on the smoker. “Instead of sauerkraut on the reuben, we’re using his mom’s coleslaw recipe for a different kind of cold crunch,” Furst says.
Photo by Kelly Irwin
The menu is globally inspired but rooted in Southern technique. “Sam is interested in bringing a Southern/Atlanta twist to some traditional sandwiches,” Furst says. “We wanted to represent different countries around the world.”
Coffee and matcha are central to the shop’s daytime offerings, with drinks curated by Jordan Neuman (formerly of Chrome Yellow Trading Co.) using beans and ceremonial grade matcha from Methodical Coffee in Greenville, South Carolina. “We visited the roaster as a team,” Furst says.
The beverage program will expand once their liquor license is finalized, led by Connor Hammond, Furst’s bar lead at BoccaLupo. He’s working on house syrups for cocktails, coffee, and matcha. “We’re obsessed with the limeade we’re producing. Connor is envisioning Cubans with limeade and rum.”
Photo by Kelly Irwin
Furst says the goal is to keep the bar menu tight and approachable. “I’m never interested in doing a list with 150 bottles. I prefer rotating less readily available options. I want to make it approachable… interesting varietals from different regions rather than typical Napa wines.”
The name “Sammy’s” pulls double duty. “Sammy is a sandwich. Sammy is Sam [Pinner]. Everything should be chef-driven,” Furst explains. “Sammy is also the daughter of one of our financial partners.”
Photo by Kelly Irwin
Bread is sourced from both Alon’s and a Cuban bakery on Clairmont Road that the team grew up frequenting. “We spent a lot of time drinking coffee and eating pastries from there and talking about what the world would look like if we opened a restaurant together,” Furst says.
There are plans to offer delivery through DoorDash, and to expand the hours with pop-ups once the cocktail program launches. “There’s very clearly a demand for weekends and nights,” Furst says. “We also want to be a part of the community. I would love to have it be a space where I can support other chefs and bartenders who are starting out with their own thing.”
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