From a small sandwich pop-up in 2020 to a new storefront in Westwood, Bread Head has come a long way. With Michelin star chefs Jordan Snyder and Alex Williams perfecting each sandwich and Greg Willsey and Michael Pasternak shaping the business, they have brought their vision to life: the perfect neighborhood restaurant.
Snyder and Willsey sat down with BruinLife’s Reem Almarei to discuss their unique approach to sandwich making.
Interview has been edited for length and clarity.
BruinLife: How has Bread Head grown since you started?
Jordan Snyder: For the first three years, we did pop-ups and focused on honing down the details. We still use the same bread recipe that Alex Williams and I created. As time went on, we refined what Bread Head looks like today and what we wanted to offer our guests. From adding turkey to tuna sandwiches, once we had more space, we started doing more of what both we and our customers wanted. In 2023, we connected with our other two founders, Michael Pasternak and Greg Willsey,and they were the missing link in taking Bread Head from just a pop-up to an actual restaurant built to scale. We’ve gotten to where we are today because we have this dream team of people.
BL: What brought about the decision to open a branch here in Westwood?
Greg Willsey: We were looking for a walkable area, and Westwood has always been on our radar. When this location came up, we had to do it. We just want to be on a very walkable street with people who would enjoy it — students and families and people who work in the hospital — just people who want to come for the energy.
BL: How has the vision of being an approachable place for everyone started to come into your Westwood branch?
JS: With each location we open, the place sort of takes its own vibe, so we’re never going to be able to replicate that vibe anywhere else. This is Los Angeles, there are a million little neighborhoods and they all have their own way of doing things. For Westwood, we have a vision. We want to see a bunch of UCLA students in here, hospital workers and families. But you never really know who’s going to walk through the door and make an imprint on the place. We let the restaurant speak for itself. I expect that this branch is going to be its own thing as well, and that’s what’s exciting about it, seeing how the community shapes the place.
The interior of Bread Head's new location welcomes the UCLA community. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Bridwell.
BL: What about the menu, are you bringing anything exclusive to this Westwood location?
JS: We have our core menu for sure, our classics, but Williams and I probably have 20 other sandwiches in our heads, things that might seem crazy but could work if people are up for it. With a younger customer base, you tend to see people who are a bit more adventurous and open to unique or culturally influenced ideas, so yes, I could see there being Westwood-exclusive sandwiches for sure.
GW: We have the benefit of two Michelin-star chefs who can work with the community and find out what resonates. They’re incredibly talented people who will make each Bread Head work for its community. We don’t always know right out of the gate what that is, but it’s exciting.
BL: What about the sandwiches? What makes yours special?
GW: All of the bread is made from scratch. The tuna salad and chicken salad are made from scratch. All the vegetables come in and are sliced the same day. It’s a very different experience, in my opinion, quality-wise, than what you’d find somewhere else. We don’t use a commissary or have our sides made at a central location in Los Angeles and brought out every few days. Everything is made that morning.
JS: Greg’s right. Williams and I always joke that we’ve built the world’s most complicated sandwich shop. It comes from our fine dining background since we can’t settle for good enough. We obsess over details most people never think about. When we couldn’t find the perfect sandwich bread, we created our own. It’s not a ciabatta or focaccia — it’s entirely ours, crafted for the right texture, taste and smell. We source every ingredient carefully, even if it costs more, because we believe better ingredients make a better sandwich. After decades in kitchens, Bread Head feels like the culmination of our careers with no compromises, just the best version of what we do.
Bacon, lettuce and tomato on Bread Head's specialty loaf. Photo courtesy of Pete Halvorsen.
BL: What makes a good sandwich great in your opinion?
JS: Our sandwiches aren’t a deli where you walk up and say, I want rye bread with tuna and this or that. The chefs have spent a lot of time figuring out what combinations of ingredients work well together. For us, it starts with the bread. A lot of competitors just buy theirs, but we bake ours fresh every few hours to get the right texture, taste and smell. Every ingredient is prepared carefully and put together in the right proportions so that flavor, texture and freshness come together. We’re not trying to create something no one’s ever heard of. We’re just trying to make the best version of a sandwich people already love. Our motto is to undersell and overdeliver. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I always point to our BLT as the perfect sandwich because there’s nothing there that doesn’t need to be. The lettuce provides texture and juiciness, the tomato gives umami and richness and the bacon adds salt and seasoning. We use iceberg lettuce that comes in every day and is cut by hand so it stays crisp and juicy. To me, the perfect sandwich is exactly that — everything that needs to be there, nothing that doesn’t.
BL: What should students look forward to at the grand opening, and when will it be?
JS: I’d tell students to follow us on social media since we’ll be posting updates about the opening. Our soft opening will be November 1st, so if you’re walking around Westwood, stop by! That’s a great time to stop by before it gets too busy. After our soft opening, we’ll have a bigger opening once everything is fully up and running.
Featured Image Courtesy of Pete Halvorsen
