Captain Bill's Subs SLO

Captain Bill’s Submarines Shop started in 1981.

But the story of how Captain Bill’s got is name is one of legends…

Bill Whalley was an entrepreneur, musician, and comedian who had worked in construction and the spa businesses before finding his passion in a sandwich shop, The Submarine Factory. Bill had hoped to be part of the franchise but, when it didn’t happen, Bill took over the location he was operating and turned it into his own independent sandwich shop.

One day, Bill was making a deposit at the bank when he noticed a sweet elderly lady taking a large withdrawal. A teenager followed the lady out and Bill kept an eye on them. When the teen stole the lady’s purse, Bill sprang into action. He chased them down making a citizen’s arrest. The girls who worked for him made a cake that said, “Captain Bill, Our Hero!” Bill renamed the shop Captain Bill’s Submarine…and so it was that Captain Bill’s Submarines was born!

As the Captain’s daughter, I started making meat packs at the age of 11 along with cleaning up, ordering inventory and learning all the other aspects of the business. I literally grew up in the sandwich shop and followed my father around his workshop and went with him to antique stores for decorations in the shop. I loved and admired my father! After many years of opening other locations and managing two of them myself, I was called to follow other interests that my father instilled in me.

Captain Bills was a good musician who played guitar and piano nightly. There were very few nights that went by that he didn’t play music and I came to be quite the audiophile. I decided to pursue this interest by obtaining my Masters in recording engineering and heading off to Los Angeles. It was not long after working in enclosed rooms with no windows and limited exposure to people, that I realized how much I missed the community of the sandwich shop. I missed serving people. This was when my son came into my life.

Raymond and motherhood launched me into community and service through parenting, school and eventually I became a School Counselor. After spending his High School years studying Business and Marketing at LAVC, Raymond turned 18. He was desperately seeking a business to start when we moved to SLO and he found a deli exclaiming that we could carry on his grandfather’s legacy!

It took me a few minutes to realize that this was the only thing I truly enjoyed doing in my whole life. I am grateful and honored to share with the SLO community, Captain Bill’s favorite foods, unapologetic humor and sense of community that he was hardly aware he had created. Like Captain Bill, my father, I hope that my family will also leave a legacy of good times, first jobs, and role models.