By Unsie Zuege
Subway sandwich lovers, take heart. Although Victoria’s Subway shop in the strip mall next to Cabin Fever closed recently, it will be back, this time inside the Hi-5 Market. Deepinder Baveja, Hi-5 Liquor and Hi-5 Market owner confirmed that he bought the Subway franchise from the previous owner, and is in the process of moving the shop into his convenience store and gas station at 1510 and 1512 Commercial Ave.
Baveja, a Victoria resident since 2004, has owned the Hi-5 liquor store since 2001, later buying the adjoining convenience store and gas station, in 2004.
“I’m giving the whole store a face-lift,” Baveja said, adding that he’s redoing the ceiling, the floor and the bathrooms. Currently the C-store is 2,500 square feet. He’ll reconfigure the interior to accommodate the Subway restaurant, which typically is 1,200-1,300 square feet. His Subway will seat 20 and includes three booths, tables and chairs.
He plans to have the remodeling completed by mid-Aug. Two weeks before the store opening, he’ll accept applications for employees.
Baveja has already completed four weeks of training in the Shakopee Subway store and is scheduled for two weeks of corporate training in Connecticut, after which he will be, as he pointed out wryly, a sandwich artist.
Baveja is a native of Punjab, India. He immigrated to the U.S., to the Twin Cities in 1998. At that time, he owned and operated Chicago Deli in South Minneapolis. In 2003, he sold the deli to devote his time to his Victoria liquor store. Baveja’s wife Tripty also works at the C-store. They have two daughters Kirat and Diya.
The Subway will be open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Baveja’s Subway will also serve a breakfast menu, something that 40 percent of Subways have begun to do.