Worldwide, 1,900 Subway sandwiches are made every 60 seconds. But just think how many more sandwiches could be sold if every Subway sandwich artist had the dexterity of Sharon Hall, who can make a sandwich that looks good enough to eat in just 44.9 seconds.
Hall, who has worked at a Subway in Waco, Texas, for seven years, is the grand-prize winner of the 2007 Subjammers Competition, held recently at Subway's annual convention in Orlando. She beat out 82 other artistes from four continents to take home the top prize of $3,000.
Second place went to Bryon Shea of Neenah, Wisconsin, who required 50.5 seconds to complete a sandwich; and Cristal Esparza of Salinas, California, who clocked in at 51.3 seconds, earned third-place honors.
Apparently, making a fast sandwich is in the genes. Three siblings rivaled each other, with fifth-place Naomi Allen cutting the mustard a tad better than her sister Crystal Allen, who came in seventh, and her brother Kirby Jr., who was edged out of the top 20. All three are from Ithaca, New York.
We thought it would be interesting to know how fast Subway founder, Fred DeLuca—who made the first sandwich in the chain's first restaurant in Bridgeport, Connecticut, 42 years ago—could make a sandwich today, but DeLuca doesn't compete. “The official word from our Subjammers timekeepers is that Fred only competes in exhibition rounds for the entertainment of the crowd— and, please forgive the pun—where he likes to ham it up,” say spokesman Les Winograd.
