Worthing's first cheesesteak restaurant to open later this month

The Cheese Steak Co will be based in The Broadway, on Brighton Road, from 4pm to 9pm seven days a week.

It will be run from Mr Bagel, but will completely take over the space in the latter part of the day to give customers a very different experience. The owner of both businesses, Tom Price, is having a sliding wooden sign installed so The Cheese Steak Co will be correctly branded when 4pm hits. Tom said there will also be different music, a different vibe, and obviously different food to what is offered in Mr Bagel between the hours of 7am and 4pm.

Tom ran food business Mac Daddy and had a food truck before opening Mr Bagel in February this year. He took on the space formerly occupied by The Garden Pantry.

Since opening, Tom said business has been good, but the raft of roadworks currently ongoing in the town centre is having an impact on him, as well as many other local traders.

Tom hopes The Cheese Steak Co will be up and running in around two weeks. He added: “We had a fantastic response to Mr Bagel, and it’s given me the confidence to start this new business within my business.

"I’m used to working in the evenings, and to be honest I was getting quite bored when Mr Bagel closed, so using the space I’m already paying rent for in the evenings seemed like the perfect idea.”

The idea for serving cheesesteaks came because Tom said he likes to offer something that isn’t available elsewhere. According to Wikipedia, a cheesesteak (also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, cheesesteak sandwich, cheese steak, or steak and cheese) is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular regional fast food, it has its roots in the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Tom said: “All the food I do is American. Mr Bagel started because there wasn’t anywhere doing just bagels in Worthing. I thought of doing cheesesteaks because I like to eat them, and as far as I can tell nobody else offers them here.

"I also like to get my menu small, as I’d rather do a smaller number of things really, really well than offer lots of options but have none of them be amazing.”

There will be three cheesesteaks on the menu when the business launches – The Original, which has peppers, onions, high-quality steak, house spices and a home-made nacho cheese sauce; Italian Stallion, which has the ingredients from The Original with the addition of marinara sauce and mozzarella; and Spicy Philly, where Monterey Jack cheese, jalapenos and spicy mayo are added.

All three options will also be available as dirty fries.

Customers can either choose to eat in, or order from The Cheese Steak Co via Uber. The business has a large social media following, so customers can find updates on either Mr Bagel on Instagram or on TikTok.