Meet the Duo Behind the Umlaut
Downtown Harrisonburg has always been a "foodie" destination, but every once in a while, a new spot opens that shifts the landscape of the local scene. Enter Münch.
Located in the heart of the 100-block of South Main, Münch isn't just a sandwich shop; it’s a masterclass in "inspired" eating. The project is led by the powerhouse team of Chef Doug Weiler and Emily Imgram. Doug, known for his refined palate and years of elevating the Valley’s fine-dining landscape, has traded the white tablecloths for high-quality deli paper—bringing a level of precision to a roast beef sandwich that you’d usually expect from a five-course meal.
Alongside him is Emily Imgram, whose vision for the guest experience and deep roots in the Harrisonburg community have helped turn a 1,000-square-foot space into a vibrant, welcoming hub. Together, they’ve created an oasis in the middle of the downtown hustle.
We caught up with Doug and Emily to talk about their journey, their menu, and what it’s like to "run the race" of opening a new business in the Friendly City. Read on for our Q&A!
The Story Behind the Sandwich
Q. "Münch is described as a 'fresh, local, and inspired take on sandwiches.' With Chef Doug Weiler’s culinary background, what was the specific 'aha!' moment that led you to believe Downtown Harrisonburg needed a dedicated, chef-driven sandwich shop?"
A. "Since closing Willow, Chef Doug's award winning fine dining restaurant in Portland, Oregon, he's had many concepts come to mind. He was in the process of opening one of those ideas in Rhode Island, but he had to return home to New York for family. While in New York, he reconnected with his first ever best friend, who just so happens to be my husband, Patrick. Patrick invited Doug to come visit Harrisonburg, and the rest is history! Doug immediately felt like Harrisonburg could be home - the friendly city certainly lived up to its name. His first visit lasted a week, and after returning to New York, he kept thinking about how he could open up something in the valley. When we heard that Lola's was closing, he said, "Let's open up a sandwich shop." He wanted to take his fine dining background and make it super approachable to everyone. What better way to do that than through a sandwich! My children had so much fun challenging Doug to make different foods into a sandwich, and he outdid himself every single time."
The Anatomy of a Münch Favorite
Q. "You offer everything from classic roast beef to bold buffalo chicken. If a first-timer walks in and says, 'Give me the sandwich that defines Münch,' which one are you handing them, and what is the 'secret ingredient' or technique that makes it stand out?"
A. "Doug says the dill turkey. This sounds silly, but the secret ingredient is the dill - and all of the different ways it's used in the sandwich to showcase its flavor: housemade dill mayo, dill pickles, and a crunchy dill slaw. And the bread - the marble rye is perfect for this sandwich.
Emily says the buffalo chicken. It embodies Doug's vision of taking a classic, nostalgic sandwich and then challenging it. The chicken is confited in duck fat and then mixed with spicy pimento cheese and buffalo sauce. It takes something familiar - a buffalo chicken sandwich - and then elevates it. The sandwich is finished with a celery and fennel slaw, dressed with our alabama white sauce - again challenging anyone who orders it to maybe try something new!"
Sourcing and the Shenandoah Valley
Q. "A major part of the Münch identity is its commitment to 'local' ingredients. Can you share some of the local Valley farms or producers you’re partnering with to keep your menu seasonal and rooted in Harrisonburg?"
A. "We're using a friend's local egg farm to use free-range, organic eggs in our cookies, brownies, aiolis and other sauces - and anything else that calls for eggs! Our milk comes from Mountain Branch Creamery, in Dayton Virginia. They offer 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised A2A2 milk. Our fresh produce comes from local farms around Virginia, and we base our menu off of what is in season locally. My children eat here, our friends and family eat here, so we want to make sure we're offering the highest quality ingredients possible at an affordable price."
Beyond the Sourdough (The Extras)
Q. "While the sandwiches are the stars of the show, your sides and 'münchables' have been getting plenty of buzz. Can you talk about the importance of the 'supporting cast' on your menu—like your house-made chips or seasonal sides—and how they round out the perfect meal?"
A. "We are happy to carry Route 11 potato chips - once again leaning into our commitment to local when best!
Doug's potato salad is hands down the best potato salad I've ever had. It's a japanese style potato salad, so it has a bit of hot mustard in it, as well as salt pickled cucumbers. He brought it to a soccer team cookout over the summer, and friends told him they'd been thinking about it ever since. It's been super popular with our customers!
Our mac salad is made to order, which is another nod to Doug's fine dining experience. It's also different from your traditional macaroni salad - using housemade alabama white sauce and bacon crumbles - and mixed with tons of fresh herbs. Doug loves to use herbs and spices to build super unique flavor profiles that make you want to take another bite to figure out what it is you're tasting. It's that twist on familiarity with a note of something new and different.
We also have really good salads. A caesar salad, which is a classic, as well as our seasonal squash and apple salad. It's mixed greens tossed with roasted and seasoned delicata squash, thinly sliced granny smith apples, queso fresco, pepitas, and a housemade sherry vinaigrette.
These sides will change with our menu as new ideas pop into Chef Doug's head - or we get excited to serve our guests something new and tasty!"
The "Umlaut" Energy
Q. "The name Münch feels modern, punchy, and a little playful. Is there a specific story behind the name or the branding? What does it represent about the type of food and the 'personality' you want the shop to have?"
A. "When Doug was in Portland, Oregon, he and his business partner were testing out different concepts with pop-ups. One of those was a Monday Lunch. Doug thought it'd be fun to call it Munch, but it never took off past the first successful pop-up due to Covid. When we heard Lola's was closing, we had to quickly come up with a placeholder of a name for our LLC because other people wanted this space. We needed to prepare a business plan, slidedeck and presentation to show why we'd be great for this space. We used Shenandoah Sandwich Company as our placeholder, and while we liked it - we didn't love it. It always felt like a mouthful. One night at dinner at my house, Doug came into the kitchen and said, "What do you think about Munch?" My children and husband were there, and we ALL immediately fell in love. We were thinking of fun slogans and t-shirt ideas and logos. It just felt right! The umlaut in our logo is for fun and branding purposes. We love that it looks like a smiley face, and we plan to have fun with stickers and t-shirts in the future. It's also like munching on good food!
And, Doug has German heritage (I have a little, too, but am mostly Irish and Scottish!), so the umlaut is fun! He worked in Munich, Germany, as a chef to cook for all of the VIP ticket holders at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as well as the FIFA Congress, which is an event that takes place before the World Cup with representatives from each country all over the world, including heads of state and global leaders. While there, he cooked for Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice!). He's cooked for lots of prestigious people, and will probably turn bright red for me telling you this, but he turned down the Kardashians - who wanted to make a very last minute reservation at his previous restaurant, Willow. Their agent called to try to get them on the day of service, but Doug refused. He said he didn't want to disappoint the people who had made reservations months ago just for a social media flex! I still can't believe it, but it also speaks to his character."
Dietary Diversity
Q. "Downtown Harrisonburg has an incredibly diverse and food-savvy population. How did you approach creating a menu that feels inclusive for different dietary needs—like vegetarian or gluten-free options—while keeping that 'chef-driven' indulgence intact?"
A. "We are really happy to provide gluten-free bread and sweets from BMC bakes, which is right around the corner from us! We can support a local business while offering really good gluten-free options. Almost all of our sandwiches on our menu right now can be made gluten-free, with the exception of our meatball (because of breadcrumbs!).
We will always have a vegetarian sandwich option, and we'll do our best to offer a vegan version as well. Our salads are vegetarian, and our carrot and ginger soup (which is seasonal) is vegan and gluten-free!"
The Last Bite
Q. Is there anything you would like to add?
A. "While Doug definitely brings the creativity in the kitchen with his chef background, I bring the sense of community. I graduated from JMU in 2009, and again in 2014 with my Master's in Teaching. I taught for Harrisonburg City Public Schools for 13 years for the Newcomer Program. While working for them, I received the honor of being Teacher of the Year! I'm still definitely a teacher at heart; it's my passion. But, the thing I loved most about teaching was the community - my students, their families, and ways they could belong in our Harrisonburg community as a whole. I loved going on home visits to meet my students' families because it almost always meant learning about their different cultures - and their favorite foods! Feeding people is my love language, and it was always so neat to maybe speak different languages or have completely different backgrounds but be able to find connection through sharing food. I've always enjoyed hosting and cooking for people. I love that I'm able to take all of that and pour it into Munch. I want everyone who walks through the door to feel welcomed and like there's something here for them!"
This is such an exciting addition to the Downtown Harrisonburg food scene! Münch (located at 122 S. Main St., Suite 103) is the brainchild of Chef Doug Weiler and Emily Imgram, and it’s already bringing a fresh (and tasty!) energy to the corner of South Main and Newman. Be sure to have lunch at Münch!
