The cult sandwich shop with 'Soprano' subs that people have been waiting on for two years

Josh Urpi and Sam Gormally have brought Bada Bing back after two years
-Credit: (Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)


It’s the kind of sandwich that leaves you with sticky fingers and a mess on the table in front of you, but there’s something about this one that has had Manchester craving it for more than two years.

Born out of the lockdown, cult sandwich makers Bada Bing - known for their ‘soprano’ deli-style subs - first found success with pop-ups in Ancoats and Piccadilly, before laying their claim at their Ancoats General Store base until their tenancy came to an end in February 2022.

In the two years since, there have been mumblings and rumours about a new Bada Bing spot, and even very vocal demands online from the dedicated regulars. And, finally, it’s official: they are back.

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This week, co-founders Sam Gormally and Josh Urpi will open up a new base on Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter, calling the likes of Koffee Pot, Mean Eyed Cat, and Kongs NQ as neighbours.

"We’ve thought about this a lot over the last few years,” Sam tells the Manchester Evening News. “We’ve missed everybody. Me and Josh are always drinking on the street and we constantly get people coming up to us asking us when we’re reopening, so finally, we can say, we’re here.”

Sandwiches are made to order, with a variety of toppings - the majority of which are made in-house
Sandwiches are made to order, with a variety of toppings - the majority of which are made in-house -Credit:Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News

Inside the shop, there’s a simple design - plain whites and greys with the only source of real colour shining through from the green tiled and wooden countertop. On the walls hang posters and T-shirts - all branded with Bada Bing branded, of course - designed by UN:IK and feature slogans like ‘those who want respect, give respect’ and ‘inspired by mobsters, prepared by Bada Bing’.

For co-founder Sam, he says the design has been kept to a minimum as he believes in letting the food do the talking. And with such subs as the Spicy Italian, featuring salami, turkey, salami Milano, swiss hot pepper radish, chipotle mayo, chilli oil, lettuce and onion, it’s safe to say, there’s a lot to be said about the food.

The aesthetic of the sandwich shop has been kept to a minimal, to 'let the food do the talking'
The aesthetic of the sandwich shop has been kept to a minimal, to 'let the food do the talking' -Credit:Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News

Sam says: “When we came up with the idea for the sandwich shop, it was just me and my girlfriend really sitting watching the Sopranos during the lockdown and I was just frustrated that, at the time, there weren’t that many good sandwich shops in town.

“We just did it out of necessity to feed ourselves and make what we wanted to eat really, but I think there’s been a bit of a sandwich revolution in the city and I don’t like to say we’re responsible for that, but we were certainly one of the first ones.”

The sandwich concept was born in the lockdown, and has gone from strength-to-strength since
The sandwich concept was born in the lockdown, and has gone from strength-to-strength since -Credit:Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News

Elsewhere on the menu, there’s The Bing - consisting of gabagool, pistachio mortadella, spicy salami, fennel salami, provolone, mayonnaise and Giardiniera - and Sam’s favourite, the Muffaleta, which is made up of ham, turkey, salami milano, provolone, olive salad, and gochujang mayo. The Paulie Walnuts, meanwhile, can be made vegan or vegetarian, and includes mushrooms, artichokes, walnuts, balsamic onions, taleggio, truffle and rocket.

They’re hearty, crammed full of toppings and pack a punch of top-quality flavours - a lot which is made in-house - barely hanging in between two slices of thick bread.

The sandwiches are all a mighty effort to accomplish
The sandwiches are all a mighty effort to accomplish -Credit:Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News

“We’ve got the Chicago hot beef sub too, which has been a popular of ours for years but it’s gotten even more famous recently thanks to The Bear,” Sam adds. “So, we had to bring it back or there would have been an uproar!”

When asked why it has taken so long for Bada Bing to open its new space, Sam says it's simply a case of waiting until the time felt right for their own venue and not rushing into things. It was also about ensuring the business remained true to its heart and stuck to the reason it was created in the first place.

“We had so many offers of people wanting to invest in us but they wanted to take too much off us really,” Sam explains. “We’ve worked so hard on this that we didn’t really want to give half the business to someone else so it was just about us scrimping and saving until we found the right spot.

Bada Bing's sandwiches feature an assortment of flavours
Bada Bing's sandwiches feature an assortment of flavours -Credit:Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News

"We’re right where we live, we’re just around the corner from where we used to be, it just made sense for us to be here. And the community here has been so welcoming of us in the six months it's taken for us to do up the place.

"At first, there was perhaps a bit of a negative perception about the Northern Quarter, but there’s been such support from others and it has such a positive atmosphere. I like how it’s its own little microcosm from the rest of the city.”

Bada Bing is on 125 Oldham Street, M4 1LN. Opens Thursday (September 19).