Newly-opened downtown Rock Hill shop is ‘obsessed with sandwiches’

To say that Kevan Cohn is just a fan of sandwiches would be dishonest.

Cohn is “obsessed with sandwiches”, telling The Herald that he visits his local Jersey Mike’s multiple times a week for a hot turkey sub.

Now, the Fort Mill resident’s love for sandwiches has become his job as he celebrates the opening of his first sandwich shop FRESHPRESS, located in the food court of The Power House in downtown Rock Hill.

The shop sells three different types of sandwiches:

• Classic sandwiches (which are always served cold);

• Specialty sandwiches (which can be served hot and pressed or not); and

• Breakfast sandwiches that are available at all open hours.

FRESHPRESS also sells chopped salads, pastries and desserts. The menu includes vegetarian and vegan options as well.

Cohn and his partner have been frequent customers at The Power House, and earlier this year they started speculating about the food court’s options.

“I thought to myself, ‘What’s missing from here?’” Cohn said. “What opportunities do we have? What do the people want?’ I had the opportunity to talk through it with my partner, and we realized a panini shop and a chopped salad shop is really what’s missing from here, because there’s not many healthy options to choose from. We wanted to be that solution.”

Keep your eyes on the menu

These first several weeks after opening are going to be crucial for what stays on the FRESHPRESS menu and what doesn’t.

“I think that the first 60 or 90 days is going to be a lot of trial and error,” Cohn said. “If I’m being honest, I’m here for the people, not necessarily for me. So while I think I have a great menu, I really want to see how people interact and enjoy the menu. If there’s things they don’t like on there, or if they’re going to give me a certain feedback, I’m willing to update the menu and change it, so it can be a little more catered to the people in the area.”

Cohn, who also works as a real estate agent, said that he believes in The Power House and what it offers to the community.

Despite the potential of high out-of-town traffic from visitors attending events at the nearby Rock Hill Sports and Events Center, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida native wants to become a mainstay in the Rock Hill area.

“Being here in central Rock Hill, we’re seeing so much growth here,” Cohn said. “So I just wanted to be on the foundation of it because this is a really cool space. I think there’s a lot of opportunity, and there’s lots of people around here. Especially with Winthrop being right here too, I really want to be able to cater to the college students and give them something a little more excited.”

The Powerhouse is located on 378 Technology Center Way in Rock Hill.

Here is the weekly schedule for FRESHPRESS:

• Sundays: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Mondays and Tuesdays: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Wednesdays through Fridays: 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.