On any given day of the week, entrepreneur extraordinaire Jeff Sinelli can be found jet-setting from coast to coast, country to country acting as ambassador for the brand he launched in Dallas 10 years ago, Which Wich. Between new restaurant openings and meetings with high-powered executives, the CEO and self-designated “Chief Vibe Officer” is perpetually on the go. Unlike other CEOs, commonly clad in expensive suits and overpriced wristwatches, Sinelli keeps it casual in his favorite Which Wich-inspired gear: logo golf shirt, blue jeans and custom black and yellow Nikes.
Without question, the cool vibe of Which Wich starts at the top. Sinelli is serious about fun, refusing to look at work as “work” but instead as an opportunity for play. The good vibes synonymous with the popular sandwich shop also prevail within the walls of the Sinelli home. When he’s not cutting deals, Dad is cutting it up with his two little girls: 4-year-old Story and 1-year-old Sky.
As the Which Wich brand continues to grow, Sinelli shows no signs of slowing down. He looks forward to bringing his wife Courtney and the Sinelli littles along for the ride, exposing them to all that the world has to offer. We recently caught up with Jeff. Fresh off a plane – of course – he gave us a call to dish on everything from the entrepreneurial gene to fatherhood to how he takes his Which Wich.
How did you meet your wife Courtney?
Courtney and I met in Dallas. I had a 2-year-old white lab named Genghis after my other restaurant concept [Genghis Grill]. I sat Genghis down and told him, “Look, you need to find yourself a mom and myself a wife.” It’s a true story. He took off outside of my Deep Ellum loft one day, crossed two streets, almost got hit by a bus and ended up in Courtney’s arms. She was just walking to work. He had never crossed the street before. That was the start of Jeff and Courtney.
How do you work as a husband-wife team – at home and in business?
We call it Team Sinelli. Like any great team, we have to work together. We’re equal owners of that team, and we share in the responsibilities. She allows me great latitude to run the business, and I do my best to balance work, life, play and the kids. It’s no different from a sports team. We have a great nanny and parents who we couldn’t do it without. We’re sort of the coaches. A lot of stuff I take from sports metaphors, because I played professional lacrosse. It may sound cheesy, but it’s a team, and we want to win the championship.
What does winning the championship look like for you?
It’s a little corny, but Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote an inspirational poem called “Success.” There are little parts in there that say, “to leave the world a little bit better, whether by a healthy child or a better place.” Our company motto is, “Some people want to make superior sandwiches. Some want to make the world a better place. We want to do both.” If you extract from that poem, there is a lot in there. It hangs on the wall of my office. It was a graduation gift from my father that ended up being really meaningful.
Have you always been an entrepreneur at heart?
Yes, at 12 years old I started with a lemonade stand at a farmer’s market. That was my first real exposure to selling food to the public.
You’re a busy guy. How do you find balance between work and family?
I take the approach that it’s not work, it’s play. I play all day long. One of the reasons for starting Which Wich was to have the ability to travel. Now that Story is approaching 5 and Sky can travel on the plane, I can go to a convention or conference or store opening – domestically or internationally – and bring the family. That was always a dream of mine. Now you can fuse them together. I do travel a lot. The first thing I do is call Courtney. I hate walking into a hotel room without her. I hate being away from them, because it’s such a special relationship. I look forward to the future, because we get to show our daughters things that I didn’t get to see as a child. I didn’t take my first international trip until I met Courtney and we got engaged in Venice. I’m looking forward to giving my children some things I didn’t have the luxury of growing up with.
You sound like you’re a fun dad. What’s your parenting style?
I kind of take the wheels off. I’m the one at the grocery store who will let the kids throw anything in the cart. I guess I would be loose and Courtney would be tight, as far as parenting. I think the balance works for us.
Would you say Courtney helps keep you grounded and focused when your wheels start turning a bit too much?
She can rein me in just by the look in her eye. I like to think you’re in a great relationship when you don’t even have to use words to express things. We can just look at each other, whether with the children or on the tollway. It’s the natural vibe that exists between us.
Any early signs that the entrepreneurial gene has been passed down to your girls?
I see the older one being more creative and artsy. So she has that trait from me, but she has the good looks of Courtney. The younger one seems to be the polar opposite. She is getting into things she shouldn’t be. So, we have two opposite girls with two hippie names and a dog named Moonlight. We’re totally a hippie family. I call all three of them my “Peace Chicks.”
Can you describe your ideal Father’s Day?
We just went through Mother’s Day with Courtney. Just the kids coming in the bedroom, jumping on the bed in their PJs – that would be the perfect morning. I think it would just get better from there.
Last question: How do you take your Which Wich?
I lean toward veggie options. We have a black bean patty that we’ve developed that’s vegan and dairy-free. I take that with some avocado and a little hot pepper for spice and wrap it in lettuce. That’s how I do it.
