Astoria's Popular Compton's Sandwich Shop Opening 2nd Location

ASTORIA, QUEENS — After more than four years of slinging sandwiches from their tucked-away shop near the Astoria ferry station, the owners of Compton's decided they were ready to widen their footprint.

"We’ve had some success there and kind of built a name for ourselves in the Queens community," said Alex Compton, who owns the shop alongside his brother-in-law, Andrew Compton, and business partner Jimmy Collins.

When the former Andrew & Frank's Deli storefront on 23rd Avenue near 31st Street became vacant a couple of years ago, the Compton's owners were enticed by the notion of opening a store so close to the heart of Ditmars-Steinway.

A rival sandwich shop calling itself Astoria Slaps swooped in, claimed the space and put up signage — but the pandemic derailed its plans and the business never opened, Compton explained.

So once the storefront came back up for lease, Compton "jumped at the opportunity," he said. Now, Compton's is set to open a new location in the shop sometime after Labor Day.

With the same name as its existing store, Compton's will serve largely the same dishes — hearty sandwiches like the burrata BLT or the "New Yorker" bacon-egg-and-cheese, burgers, and an "extensive coffee program," Compton said.

But customers can also expect a new set of limited-run specialty sandwiches — a product of partnerships that Compton's has planned with other businesses like hot-sauce purveyors Heatonist and Mike's Hot Honey.

At nearly triple the size of the existing Compton's location, the new shop will feature both indoor and outdoor seating — while the old shop will switch to takeout-only, Compton said.

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the new Compton's will stay open daily until around 10 or 11 p.m., he said.

The new specials will help make the new Compton's "more experience-based," beyond the takeout focus at the old shop, Compton said.

"We’re excited to expand to the Ditmars side of Astoria," he said. "It’ll be nice to be able to have the indoor and outdoor seating and get to connect with the locals more on a more personal note."