JoeJoeBob’s

“I’ve helped open plenty of restaurants, but this is the first sandwich shop that I’ve owned,” he says. “My background isn’t in sandwiches at all, but when people find out that I have studied in certain Michelin kitchens, it starts to make a little bit of sense.”

And that’s because his menu skews more elegant than your typical sandwich shop. Take, for example, the C.B.C. sandwich (pictured). It features corned beef cheek, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, kimchi and a spicy sauce. Other favorites include the Risotto Melt, oozing with mushrooms, smoked provolone, white beans and arugula; and the McArthur, stacked with turkey, provolone, avocado relish, lettuce, crushed chips and mayonnaise.

“We use Noble bread,” Rodger says. “Thursdays, we sell our own sourdough loaves. And I try to get the best deli turkey I can find, because I know what I want out of a sandwich.”

Rodger is in the process of applying for a liquor license so he can host pop-ups, guest chef dinners and other culinary get-togethers at the store. He also involves his partner, who bakes all of the deli’s cookies and greets JoeJoeBob’s guests.

But what about the name? Well, Rodger’s full name is Joseph Robert Rodger, and after growing up with two nicknames — “Joe Joe” and “Joe Bob” — he decided to merge them when he named the deli. It’s that creative mindset that also inspires the sandwiches, salads and sides, which Rodger updates regularly to keep the deli’s menu fresh.

“I think failure is your best friend when you’re trying to learn,” he says. But the restaurant’s reviews indicate that there’s very little failure at JoeJoeBob’s. “Chef Joe doesn’t take a day off!” one reviewer wrote. “[We visited] his amazing restaurant three times while we were staying in Flagstaff. He knocked it out of the park every time. JoeJoeBob’s is a must when you’re in Flagstaff.”