Fay’s Finest Foods to locate in former Heartland Bank near Sandwich

The smell of barbecue will be emitting from the former Heartland Bank on Gletty Road, starting with the Super Bowl next month.

Fay’s Finest Foods, which is a grilled onsite catering service, plans to lease the property for its business. At the Jan. 20 Sandwich City Council meeting, City Council members voted to authorize Sandwich Mayor Todd Latham to execute a pre-annexation agreement with Doug Arneson for the former Heartland Bank property at 21 Gletty Road.

Arneson plans to lease the property to Fay’s Finest Foods. The land is not currently within the city limits of Sandwich.

“DeKalb County wants an intergovernmental agreement in which we would have jurisdiction (over the property),” Sandwich Economic Development Director Don Aleksky said.

The property is not contiguous with the city.

“And so we can’t do an annexation agreement at this time,” Sandwich city attorney Cassandra Gottchalk said. “What we have proposed is a pre-annexation agreement that would go into effect along with the intergovernmental agreement…We all agree that when it becomes possible, they’re going to come in to the city.”

Nathan Fay is excited about the new opportunity. He likes the fact the former bank property has four drive-thru lanes instead of just two.

“We’ve been doing a pop-up drive-thru in Waterman,” he said. “We’ve been averaging about 400 meals on a Friday, just in car traffic. The main thing is just to get a drive-thru going. We’re not looking to do dine-in right away. We just want to get the doors open.”

The business has strong ties to Sandwich as it has a longstanding tradition of selling its food at the Sandwich Fair.

Plans are for the restaurant to be open two or three days a week. Fay’s Finest Foods is planning to be open from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 9 during the Big Game.

“Then we’ll have to wait until we get our permits and all that to be officially open,” Fay said.

Sandwich 2nd Ward Alderwoman Rebecca Johnson liked the idea.

“I think it’s a great idea,” she said. “I’ve seen their pop-up in Waterman, and they look very busy when they do it.”