On a sidestreet in downtown Banning, walking distance from the Banning Civic Center and the historic Fox Cineplex, sits Super Subs, a homey takeout spot beloved by locals and visitors alike.
Super Subs, which has operated continuously for more than 20 years, is a local fixture in this small rugged city in Riverside County. At lunchtime on a day earlier this week, regulars leaned at the counter to chat with owner and sandwich-maker Diana Tety Benhar, 63, who was hard at work in an open kitchen wallpapered with family photos.
Benhar, who prides herself on greeting her customers by name and getting to know their families, is a local fixture, too.
She opened Super Subs in 2002 out of a rented storefront on Ramsey Avenue in Banning. After five years of business, she and her husband purchased the building on nearby San Gorgonio Avenue, where Super Subs is located now.
To pay for the building, Benhar operated the sandwich shop while also working other jobs, including cleaning and delivering newspapers.
“I liked to work hard,” Benhar said. “Most nights, I got home after [11 p.m.].”
Her work paid off. Earlier this year, Super Subs appeared on a list of the Top 10 sandwich shops in America, published by the food review website Yelp. Super Subs was one of only three restaurants in California to receive that honor.
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After so many years of hard work, Benhar said she was pleased with the state of her business.
“I manage myself. I am happy,” she said. “I want to focus on my food, laugh with my customers, and make people smile.”
But she said she still enjoys working a side job, too, teaching morning zumba classes at the Banning Community Center and in nearby Beaumont.
“Being with people gives me energy,” she said.
Benhar, who is originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, moved to Riverside County in 1988 from Japan, where she had been studying Japanese literature and met her husband. Together, they raised their four daughters in Riverside County. Photographs of their daughters’ graduations and other accomplishments hang above the counter in Super Subs.
Speaking with The Riverside Record, Benhar fondly recalled the days when her children attended the nearby elementary school, remembering how she would leave the sandwich shop in the care of her customers to pop out to pick them up at the end of the school day.
Outside of work, Benhar’s passion for her adopted hometown shines through. Since last year, she has served as vice president of the Banning Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the local Rotary Club. She has also served on the board of the Banning Playhouse Bowl Association.
“I like Banning. It is a good community,” Benhar said. “Now I am giving back.”
Super Subs is open Monday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 112 N San Gorgonio Ave. in Banning, near the Banning Civic Center.
Dispatches from Riverside County is a semi-regular feature where The Riverside Record highlights local businesses that make Riverside County what it is. If you know a business that you think should be featured, email publisher Alicia Ramirez at Alicia.Ramirez@RiversideRecord.org.
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