Get ready for sandwiches on the beach this summer: The acclaimed Santa Monica sandwich shop Bread Head is opening in Manhattan Beach. 

The restaurant plans a "soft" opening at the end of May, and will open officially at the beginning of June at the former Tacolicious location on Manhattan Ave. in the heart of downtown.

Bread Head was created by longtime friends chefs Alex Williams and Jordan Snyder, who met while working at the Michelin-star-rated Trois Mec in Los Angeles. (Trois Mec closed during the pandemic.)

Sharing a dedication to "the art of the sandwich," Williams and Snyder set out to perfect their craft. They debuted their sandwiches at various pop-ups across L.A. before joining forces in 2023 with longtime restaurateurs Greg Willsey (founder of Joolies, Kinderfarms, Desert Valley Date and Only Skin through his firm Venice Brands) and Michael Pasternak (former director of operations at the Night + Market restaurant group) to form Bread Head Restaurant Group.

After a successful launch in Santa Monica (the L.A. Times' food critic called Bread Head "the next best sandwich shop in L.A." making "precise, lovable versions of American standards"), they are now preparing to open in Manhattan Beach, with an additional shop in Westwood coming soon thereafter.

The Bread Head sandwiches start with their own homemade bread, a custom focaccia that is baked in special pans with a light glaze on top. Popular favorites from the menu include the Calabrian Turkey, the Muffaletta, and the cult-favorite Mozzarella sandwich (with avocado, alfalfa sprouts, pickled red onion, and za'atar spread). Sandwich prices range from $13 and up for a half sandwich, to $23 and up for a whole sandwich.

At the Manhattan Beach shop, the menu "will have everything on the Santa Monica menu plus some additions," Willsey told MB News. "Manhattan Beach has a larger kitchen so we can spread our wings a bit more. We will have a breakfast menu - including breakfast sandwiches and breakfast burritos - plus more sides and seasonal items."

The shop also plans to have a wider beer and wine selection than is currently in the Santa Monica shop, but the beer and wine permit may not be finalized until a few months after opening.

Willsey said that Bread Head "chose Manhattan Beach because we just love the community - I used to live there - and we feel that there is a lot of overlap between the clientele there and in Santa Monica, and we want to be THE neighborhood sandwich shop in communities such as these."

He added: "Based on our experience in Santa Monica, we do really well with families, professionals - including catering - and people who like to head to the beach.  We see lots of people posting on social media about eating Bread Head on the beach."

And while it's hard to choose a favorite from among many sandwiches, Willsey notes that he's particularly partial to the Turkey Pesto sandwich. "But I add roasted red peppers."