We are happy you are visiting our website. At Earl's it's our pleasure to serve you good food at a good value. Take a moment to learn about our approach and our brief but interesting history. We look forward to seeing you at Earl's.
Stephen Dugan, Owner

We are a local sandwich shop located in Arlington VA, dedicated to serving superior quality hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups and sides in an efficient manner in a clean, friendly environment.

Our goal is to build sales and profitability by serving a product which differentiates itself from the rest of the market because of its flavor profile.

Rather than relying on processed or pre- prepared products we are committed to creating and maintaining a culinary environment that honors the best aspects of the food we are serving.

We are also fully committed to operating under the principles of honesty, integrity and mutual respect and to have fun.

1972: Steve Dugan begins experimenting with various recipes including a bacon and lemon spinach salad, over-stuffed omelets, and stuffed pita pockets. Eventually most of his creations, regardless of the ingredients, seem to end up on bread. Cooking time is limited to after school, however, as Steve is only in the second grade.

1972-1980: Throughout the Seventies, Dugan continues to experiment with different recipes, often waiting till his parents go to bed because his mother didn't want him making a mess of the kitchen after she had cleaned up after dinner.

1980-1987: Dugan gets his first restaurant job at King's Subs in his hometown of North Andover Massachusetts. He learns the basics of the food business during his seven years on the job.

1989: After graduating from college in Boston, Dugan moves to Glover Park in Washington DC. Armed with a degree in Speech, he begins working at the city Club of Washington as a sauté cook.

1991: Dugan, looking for part time work on the weekends, is referred by a friend to Rockland's Barbeque and Grilling Co. in Glover Park. He begins working part time as a grill cook. It's during this time that he meets Rockland's owner and future partner, John Snedden.

1992-2000: For ten years Dugan and Snedden work together at Rockland's. Dugan eventually becomes Kitchen Manager and then General Manager before leaving in October 2000.

2005: After lamenting a lack of quality sandwiches in the greater DC area, Dugan decides to open his own shop. During the early planning stages he contacts John Snedden for advice and, together with Rockland's Director of Operations, Maurice Roche, they decide to launch Earl's, a restaurant specializing in homemade sandwiches, soups and side dishes.

December 4, 2005: Earl's opens for business.