Things changed quickly for Corrina Hohl and Evan Cassell.
After spending 2025 anchored at Slipaway Food Truck Park in Cape Coral, the owners of Chop It Up decided to hit the road.
“Part of the food truck experience is going to the people,” said Hohl. “We wanted to get back out there and be able to reach everybody.”
That was the plan anyway.
After announcing they were leaving Slipaway, it all began to change in late December.
“Someone came up to us and said they had a spot we could move in to,” Cassell said. “(Corrina) had a goal to be in a brick-and-mortar in a year.”
They pulled out of the food truck park at 7 a.m. Jan. 1 and “took a much-needed vacation.”
“Right when we came back, we knew,” Hohl said.
They opened Chop It Up Sandwiches, their first brick-and-mortar, on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Corrina Hohl and Evan Cassell are the owners of Chop It Up, a new sandwich shop in North Fort Myers.
It’s tucked away inside a corner of Oasis Outdoors (previously Sunflower Market) off Hancock Bridge Parkway in North Fort Myers.
“We can focus more on customers here,” Hohl said. “It’ll be more hands-on. And we’ll have more energy.”
“We don’t just take orders,” Cassell said. “We like to talk to everyone.”
They’ll take Sundays off at their new place, something they didn’t often get to do in the food truck.
“We’re Christian people with Christian values,” Hohl said. “We want to be free on Sundays. One or both of us were at the food truck every day for six months except for maybe three Mondays.”
The Italian is the best-selling sandwich at Chop It up.
How it all began
Hohl and Cassell met while working at a bagel shop when they were in college at Indiana.
“I saw the viral chopped Italian sandwich on TikTok,” Cassell said. “I started making it, and it was the best thing ever. I tried it out on friends. Then we started to take it seriously.”
The sandwiches with a twist are made by combining all the ingredients, chopping them into small pieces, and then placing everything into the bread or wrap.
“You get the best of everything in each bite,” Hohl said. “You taste it all in every bite.”
Chop It Up has opened inside Oasis Outdoors (previously Sunflower Market) off Hancock Bridge Parkway.
Cassell was supposed to start a job in Chicago, but things changed quickly for the couple.
“We moved down here after three or four months of dating,” Hohl said. “His family was here. We bought a trailer and completely renovated it. He had no handyman skills whatsoever. He’s good now.”
They opened Chop It Up food truck in October 2024.
“We didn’t know anything,” she said. “We just jumped right in.”
Evan Cassell and Corrina Hohl opened Chop It Up food truck in October of 2024.
They learned quickly.
“The first day we opened was a disaster,” she said. “We would chop to order, and it took way too long. It was so messy.”
“We just had to figure out the process,” Cassell said. “We went to events everywhere we could. We made connections, went where other food trucks went. It started catching on. We would go to the same spots where people were excited to see us back.”
A unique sandwich shop
Chop It Up has found a new home inside of Oasis Outdoors (previously Sunflower Market) off Hancock Bridge Parkway in North Fort Myers.
When Slipaway opened on July 4, 2025, they were ready.
“It was nice being there,” Cassell added. “It was great, great exposure for us. Customers knew where we were and could always find us. We kept seeing the same customers, which was great.”
The Chicago-style Italian became their most popular sandwich. Ham, pepperoni, salami, provolone, hot peppers, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, oil & vinegar, Italian seasoning and mayo are all joyously combined and chopped together.
“The bread is baked fresh to order,” Cassell added. “It comes out crispy and warm like it would from a bakery in New York.”
Customers are welcome to enjoy their Chop It Up order anywhere inside Oasis Outdoors, an outdoor teak furniture store.
The subs are different and oh-so good.
Other signature sandwiches, available in half and whole sizes, include The Crunchwich (ham, turkey, bacon, sharp cheddar and more, with a homemade tangy chipotle aioli), Blazin’ Chicken (chicken, pepperoni, bacon, sharp cheddar and more with a homemade buffalo ranch aioli), BLT, Basil Pesto and The Hoosier (turkey, chicken, bacon, pepperoni and more in an original sweet cranberry aioli). All of those, and a build-your-own, are also available in salads and wraps.
“It’s basically the same things we had available before,” Hohl said, “plus more sides. I’m really excited about them. Chicken salad, macaroni salad. Each has its own twist on it.”
The baked-fresh-to-order bread at Chop It Up is warm, crunchy and oh-so-good.
And don’t worry, the banana pudding is available too.
“We’re doing hot sandwiches now that we have the equipment and space,” Cassell said. “We eventually want to expand the deli part. Sell meats, cheeses. We will be able to do more now.”
And instead of being served from their trailer, you’ll find them behind the counter inside of Oasis Outdoors. Grab your order to go or eat in. Custom teak furniture is sold in the large space and Chop It Up customers are welcome to eat anywhere inside — tables and chairs, loveseats and sofas included.
“Come hang out,” Cassell said. “Eat, do some work. The chairs are comfortable. It’s great being here.”
And as far as the trailer goes?
“We’re still going to do it,” Cassell said.
Some things never change.
Chop It Up, 1001 Palm Ave., Suite 1, North Fort Myers; open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; (239) 628-2775; chopitupsandwiches.com or follow on Facebook
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Chop It Up Sandwiches opens in North Fort Myers