Bad As's Sandwich
BUSINESS OF THE MONTH
October, 2021
by Mary McGinn
Bad As’s Sandwich’s Chef John Collazo has been passionate about feeding people since he was little.
John describes himself as a “bad kid” when he was a boy in Puerto Rico, but one that found something in cooking. His dad passed away when he was eight, and he’d cut class while his mom was at work. On those days you could often find him feeding his friends from a makeshift grill in his backyard.
By eight John had taught himself how to cook on charcoal and could whip you up a Churrasco skirt steak or a delicious breakfast sandwich with egg, tomato, ham, and adobo.
His mother wanted him to get an education, but still encouraged his love of food.
When they’d go on road trips to visit his grandma, John would see a restaurant with a cool logo and tell her he was hungry. Even if they had just eaten, his mom would stop to get him that taco, that empanada, that burger from the side of the road because he wanted to taste it.
At sixteen John and his family moved to Pennsylvania. He went from a happy surfer living in the tropics to a stressed teenager who didn’t speak English, freezing his tail off in negative degree weather. He adapted to his new surroundings while dreaming of owning a restaurant one day.
John Collazo wanted to go into culinary school after high school. Instead, his mom convinced him to pursue accounting because it seemed more practical. He figured he could use the skill when he opened the restaurant, but shortly after starting school, John became a father. He dropped out and jumped into the workforce as a warehouse worker.
Within two years John Collazo was a 20-year-old who felt burnt out and stuck.
After months of deliberation, he decided to enroll in The Restaurant School of Philadelphia. John learned the skills he needed to follow his dream and took them with him as he worked up and down the East Coast. Eventually, he found himself working in Orlando.
He didn’t know it at the time, but it would be in The City Beautiful where he’d meet his amazing wife and together they’d realize his dream of opening a restaurant.
Bad As’s Sandwich started in 2014 with a trailer from a pawn shop and on January 29th, 2017 they opened their first brick & mortar in The Milk District. Now Bad As’s has its third location in the works.
Bad As’s Sandwich’s Milk District location will always hold a special place in John Collazo’s heart.
“The energy is so chill,” says John, “It’s not pretentious. Everybody can relate.” John’s customers range from lawyers and surgeons to landscapers and construction workers to skaters and young people that all come together to enjoy his food.
John is grateful for the charm, the vibe, and the unity here in The Milk District.
“The community is incredible,” says John, “and we’re blessed to be here.”
Bad As’s Sandwich is open seven days a week for dine-in or pick-up at 207 Primrose Drive in Orlando, Florida.
