Stadium District loses another one. Sandwich shop closes for good
Sandwich Starr, which served East Coast-inspired subs, coffee, beer and wine, has closed after less than two years in the Stadium District.
A sign posted to the door confirmed the last day as Jan. 16. Tacoma’s Reddit page caught wind of the shutter last week, with many users commenting that it often appeared empty. Others complimented the food, especially the house-smoked pastrami, but noted prices that felt a bit steep.
Trey Beattie and partner Megan Laffler opened Sandwich Starr in 2024 at 102 N. G St., on the ground floor of Stadium Apartments. They got their start inside Edison City, a beer bar in South Tacoma that closed earlier that year.
Beattie harnessed his upbringing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, into sandwiches like the Sir Robot with thick-cut pastrami and The White Rabbit with nam jim jaew aioli. They also added local ingredients such as microgreens from De La Mesa Farms and Nil’s Kimchi. Every sandwich came with a whole house-brined pickle.
In an email, Beattie confirmed the closure but declined to comment further at this time and pointed to their Instagram post shared Saturday morning.
The couple wrote that they had set out to build a space that provided employment and fair wages to local workers, highlighted other small businesses and offered a welcoming space for all to enjoy. They paid staff “at least $20 an hour,” they said, and tried to keep prices “as low as possible,” while also hosting frequent free events including comedy shows and open-mic nights.
“But with the economy the way that it is, the costs of running a small business are astronomical and we made it even harder for ourselves with those goals,” they said. “We just couldn’t get enough people through the doors.”
Despite low turnout, they continued, “We find it hard to blame anyone for that. Time and money are in short supply right now in our communities.”
They sub-leased the 2,300-square-foot space from Anthem Coffee, which had a location there from 2018-2022. It closed after struggling to gain traction, plodding through Link construction and security concerns, owner Bryan Reynolds told The News Tribune at the time. Anthem tried again, reopening the shop only to close it about six months later. They had signed a long lease, though, and Sandwich Starr stepped into the void.
On Jan. 21, Anthem posted on Instagram that the company, based in Puyallup with numerous shops in Pierce County and a recent expansion to Arizona, confirmed that Sandwich Starr had closed. Now, the post reads, Anthem is seeking “a tenant OR multiple local businesses potentially that would want to be part of a multi-tenant or shared food hall concept” at the now quiet Stadium District storefront.
“Our plan is to sub-lease either the whole space or to create a multi-tenant concept for shopping, dining and enjoying food/beverages,” the post continued.
What’s going on with Stadium District restaurants?
The neighborhood’s retail corridor continues to struggle.
The former Starbucks space across the street remains empty. The cookie dough and ice cream shop closed at the end of last year. Poquitos and Stadium Golf finally — after various fits and starts since giving up on the original Rhein Haus idea in 2022 — threw in the towel last summer, as did Art House Cafe.
But the building long home to Harvester around the corner is inching toward renewal, as Lil Woody’s, a Seattle-based burger brand, has filed permits for its first Tacoma restaurant. It will join Shake Shake Shake, Salamone’s Pizza, Dahlman Cellars, The Powder Room Champagne Bar, Indo Street Asian Eatery and the new Sapp Sapp Thai. The Parkway Tavern and Hanks also continue to draw crowds not far from the main drag.
Beattie and Lafler said they will remain part of the Tacoma community and encouraged locals to frequent many of the small businesses they served at Sandwich Starr, including coffee roasters Outer Dark and Naomi Joe, bakeries Love by the Slice and Midsommar, and breweries Odd Otter and Narrows.
Reporter’s Note, 1/25/2026, 12 p.m.: This story has been updated with comment from the owners.
This story was originally published January 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM.