GOT PICKY EATERS?

Kids can eat healthy at Baggin's!

I think every parent has dealt with a picky eater or had a defiant child go through a picky eating phase when it comes to meal times.   Recently, my 4^th grader declared that she was going to be a vegetarian.

“I no longer want to eat animals”, she protested.

“You do realize that chicken nuggets are animals.”   My rebuttal did not phase her in the least.  In fact,here we are six months later and she is still vegetarian strong.  You would think that this would be a major change for this kiddo but it really has been more of an issue for me.  I am of the meat-eating variety and I have really struggled with finding fast easy foods for her to eat or foods that my entire family will eat that is healthy.  Just because it can be classified as vegetarian does not exactly mean healthy.  (“Isn’t sugar vegetarian?”)   She has learned a lot about where her food comes from and what it does in the body which means less fights at the dinner table for this family.  Getting her involved was key!

Check out a few resources that can be helpful for your picky eater: 

1)  Locally, the HealthyPima website, (funded from the Pima County health department)  has vasts amounts of information on getting your kids to eat and be healthy.  It is filled with links, articles and activities for parents and kids wanting to know more.

2)  Also, the MayoClinic has a great article on how to handle picky eaters.  It is all about perspective.  Having a child help with meal and snack preparations makes them feel like they have a little control which in turn gives parents a little peace of mind during meal times.

3)  Don’t forget to stop by any of our Baggin’s locations because Kids eat free February 25th and 26th, too!

So if you are looking to say NO to chicken nuggets this weekend, stop by any of our Baggin’s Gourmet Sandwich locations because KIDS eat FREE with an adult.  We have turkey, veggie, roast beef , ham and peanut butter options for your kids.  They can even get it without the sprouts!

Have a fantastic week!

Oh, and don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and Twitter to get great deals for your whole family.

Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them day after day.”

— Arthur Gordon

Baggin's famous lil' chocolate chip cookie

Hope this blog finds you all still committed to your resolutions and goals.  And even if you were sidetracked, it’s time to revisit that vision you had for yourself.  Today is a new day.  It is those small steps that make big changes!

Last year, one of our goals was to revamp our outdated website so that we could provide better communication with our customers.  We are extremely pleased with how it turned out.  In fact, our goals this year are to add more functionality like on-line ordering and instant communication with our customers.

We know that we cannot do better without the input of our favorite customers.  With that, we have added more ways to communicate with us through our website via your favorite social media platforms or email.  You can check that out here.

We even started uploading our delicious sandwich pictures to our boards on Pinterest. We would love it if you started following us.  There is nothing better than oogling over all the delicious sandwich creations our customers put on their boards.

We are also getting ready to launch our Youtube channel where we will be posting videos about our employees, tutorials on how to make a great sandwiches or how to decorate a sandwich platter “Baggin’s style” and just showing you the main kitchen and locations behind the scenes.

We encourage you to drop us a quick line or note to let us know how we are doing.  You can do that here.

We will also be adding a few more ways to get great deals from your neighborhood store.

1)      We will be doing an email program where you can receive information and great discounts for the upcoming month through Constant Contact.  You can sign up for those email notes here on our home page.  We have some great specials coming in February so get on that list.

2)      We will be rolling out a text marketing program so you can get your deals via your cell phone.  Stay tuned how you can add yourself to this tech-savvy list.

3)      We will also continue with our spur of the moment social media deals through Facebook and Twitter.

4)      And occasionally, we will be offering Baggin’s specials through on-site Manager specials.  These are personally chosen by our neighborhood store managers.

Whatever way you choose to hang out with us, we thank you!  

An 'Unforgettable' thank you to all of our Baggin's customers!

We want to make sure all of our Baggin’s customers know our holiday hours coming up.   There is still time to pick up those last minute rum cakes, dessert platters and gift cards at your neighborhood store.   Here is the scoop:

Christmas Hours

December 23rd…. Friday              All stores open regular hours.

December 24th…. Saturday        Valencia/Country Club    CLOSED     Church/Pennington  CLOSED

                                                              Kolb/Speedway             9am to 3pm

                                                              All other stores  open 10am to 4 pm

December 25th…. Sunday            Closed.  Merry Christmas!

December 26th…. Monday         Valencia/Country Club    CLOSED    Church/Pennington          CLOSED

All other stores open regular hours

New Year’s Hours

December 30th…. Friday                 All stores open regular hours

December 31st….  Saturday             Valenica/Country   CLOSED    Church/Pennington      CLOSED

                                                                              All other stores open 10am to 4pm

January 1st… Sunday                           All stores CLOSED.  Happy New Year!

We want to extend a very happy holiday season to all of our loyal customers.  We appreciate that you have many choices in the marketplace these days and we are honored you choose us for our high quality gourmet sandwiches and catering.  Please check back with us at our blog and social sites to find deals, specials and happenings coming in 2012.

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ~Charles Dickens

How does lunch for you and two of your best lunch buddies sound?  

The Unforgettable Sandwich

Please comment below on what was your favorite Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzza or Winter Solstice (Did I cover everyone?) gift you EVER received and why.   For extra points, please ‘like’, tweet or +1 any of our website pages.  We will randomly pick on Friday, December 9th.

Tis the season to PARRRRTAAAAYYYY! 

It is so nice to be invited to these fun functions but we often stress more after the invitation arrives.   Once we figure out what to wear, what do we bring those  hostess’ with the mostess’ that are doing all that dirty party work?

Here is a list that might be helpful for you in the next coming months.  These are merely suggestions from your local neighborhood Baggin’s as well as local businesses like us in the Old Pueblo.   Please remember to support your local mom-and-pop shops this season.

*       Baggin’s delicious rum cake or carrot cake   We make all of our delicious whole  cakes fresh in our kitchen daily.  It is wrapped in a box to-go with our signature raffia and chili pepper.  $15.00 Call your neighborhood store for details.

Baggin's delicious whole rum cake $15.00

*        Baggin’s sinful dessert platter   All of your favorite desserts from our stores on one sweet platter.  Our famous chocolate chip cookies, chocoholic brownies, carrot cake bites and sliced rum cake that will serve 8-10 lucky folks.   Call your neighborhood manager for your perfect arrangement.

Sinful dessert platter $15.00

After you get your fill on all of our Baggin’s treats, these are a few local gifts that all party hostess’ would love.

*         Unique Christmas ornaments and decorations from the  Seasoned Woman gift store.  They have many under $20.00 that are simple and perfect for a hostess gift.  And they will wrap it up in their cute whimsical  bags ready to go.

*          A true Tucson secret is the jewelry from Susan Scholl Smith.   Get your hostess a beautiful red bracelet for this season.  She has many pieces for any budget.  Check her out here:  Jewelry by Susan

*           Tis really the season for sparkling wine from the Rum Runner.   Check out their charming store off of Speedway  for an amazing selection.  They also gift wrap on the “house”.

*         Chili Ristra or green pine wreath from Brian and Kelly’s stand on Broadway and Rosemont.  Their stands are always fun to visit.

*        For a traditional idea, how about a champagne stopper or wine accessories at Table Talk.  They have everything for that perfect tablescape,too.

We wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season.  

“As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December’s bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same.”
– Donald E. Westlake

Holidays are coming up right around the corner.   We wanted to give you a heads up on what stores will be open and when.

Thursday….   November 24th                                All stores will be closed on Thanksgiving.

Friday …..      November 25th     

2741 E Speedway         10am to 4pm

1800 E Ft. Lowell          10am to 4pm

6342 N Oracle                 regular hours

33 N Stone                        closed

5420 E Broadway          regular hours

3191 E Valenica              10 am to 4pm

11015 N. Oracle              regular hours

7233 E Speedway          9 am to 3pm

Saturday November 26th                                        3191 E Valencia                 Closed

All other stores– regular hours.

Hope you all have a fantastic holiday!

P.S.     You would not believe how many people show up the day after Thanksgiving and order a Sundown sandwich.  =)

Baggin’s Gourmet Sandwiches began when Cheree and Jay Garrett hopped off their Seattle, Washington motorcycle in Tucson, Arizona to start a new chapter.  As with all great things, it started from something else and became bigger than they even imagined.   Motivated by a little chocolate chip cookie, Cheree and Jay decided to open a sandwich shop on Pima Street in 1984.    The first day, they sold seven sandwiches; the next day, they sold fifteen.  Today, Baggin’s makes over 2700 sandwiches daily and even more chocolate chip cookies.

The Little Cookie that Could!

Selling our gourmet sandwich creations in a bag with that little cookie has proven successful over the years.  The real success does not only come from the numbers but in those positive moments we have helped create.  Baggin’s has become a place like home.  University of Arizona students reminisce about college years at our Speedway store, young adults remember their first summer job as a cashier and past employees come back with their families to eat with us.   Those are the moments we savor as we feel food brings all people together whether in a home kitchen or a neighborhood restaurant.  Food is life.

Today, we are proud to look back at all that Baggin’s has accomplished over the years.  With all of our ups and downs, we are still moving forward with positivity and attention to detail that Cheree has made a foundation at Baggin’s.   We have added new faces at Baggin’s over the years and today, we are made up of high school students, hard working college grads, moms and dads and everyone in between.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Cheree Garrett, Owner

John Murphy, President                                   john@bagginsgourmet.com

Sunny Bravin, Treasure                                    sunny@bagginsgourmet.com

Nancy Murphy, Director of Operations     nancy@bagginsgourmet.com

Baggin's love with every sandwich

Wow! This is our very first post!

We, at Baggin’s, normally are quite a chatty bunch, but now that there seems to be a platform for such things all I hear is crickets. So, I will be the first to dip my toes in this blogging pond by telling you that this blog will be about what is going on at Baggin’s.

Trust me when I say, there is always something going on at Baggin’s. If there is ever a place that would make good reality TV, it would be a restaurant.

We are a very optimistic group of people. We love a great inspirational, a pull-up-yourself by the bootstraps kind of stories and we always try to find something to be grateful for even in the midst of a terrible day.

Behind every business, there are people; this includes the people behind the counter as well as the ones in front of our stores. We want to feature our awesome customers as well as show you want it’s like to be a Baggin’s employee.

This blog will be about new and upcoming foods and specials. We want to invite you into our Baggin’s home. We want to hear your suggestions, complaints, passions, and your ideas.

Welcome!

~Sunny B