Slam Dunk Sandwiches

by Susan Shalhoub

Ted Jones knows how to form winning teams. 

To start Slam Dunk Sandwiches – Oviedo’s favorite new sports-themed lunch spot – Ted linked with one of the most valuable players around: his longtime friend Garth Bolton (and Garth’s son Chad). 

Ted also found a winning team in his alliance with an Argentinian bakery in Winter Springs. Its owner shared the secret recipe for oversized bread that’s now baked fresh daily for Slam Dunk Sandwiches. The bread – sandwiched around freshly cut meats and cheeses, served up to hungry customers pressed and cut on the diagonal – is the perfect foundation for the signature creations that have won Slam Dunk a faithful following since opening its doors a year ago.

The Starting Lineup

A former teacher and school athletic director from Pennsylvania, where he owned a golf-themed sandwich shop, Ted and his team have hit their stride with sandwich fan favorites like the Technical Fowl (Boar’s Head cajun turkey, pepper jack cheese, crunchy onions, and signature creamy cajun mayo) and The Shocker (turkey, ham, swiss cheese, and Slam Sauce dusted with powdered sugar and served with a side of warm raspberry dipping sauce). There’s also the Bench Warmer, a new sandwich that substitutes itself onto the Slam Dunk menu every week.

“We’ve had Fruity Pebbles sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, spicy ones... coming up with a brand-new sandwich every week is not always easy, but our customers love it, and we love doing it for them,” says Ted. 

Slam Dunk Sandwiches also offers house-made sauces such as its honey mustard Slam Sauce, fresh salads and soups, and Slam Blend coffee through its partnership with Leatherback Roasters.

The local crowd is going wild for Slam Dunk Sandwiches, which has already earned more than 300 organic, glowing online reviews. That’s why Ted is so eager to give back to the community through church fundraisers, school campaigns, Spirit Nights, or team sponsorships. Ted and Garth were both once teachers and coaches, themselves, after all. 

In addition to catering, Slam Dunk Sandwiches also loves to host birthday parties for 6-year-olds, 80-year-olds, and everyone in between. The shop helps out budget-conscious parents with Kids-Eat-Free Nights, too.

And Slam Dunk Sandwiches has a solid game plan going forward.

“We’re considering another location,” says Ted, “and maybe a food truck!”