King of Sandwiches TikTok Star Owen Han Recalls Going Viral (Exclusive)

Owen Han is known online as the “King of Sandwiches,” but his love for food began long before the internet ever took notice.

While most kids grew up on peanut butter and jelly, Han — born in Italy to an Italian mother and Chinese father — was all about Pan Nutella: bread slathered with Nutella. It remains his ultimate comfort food and, he says with a laugh, his go-to lunch. “I have at least one a day.”

Even after moving to the U.S., Han spent summers in a tiny Tuscan village — a place with no Wi-Fi, spotty cell service and only Italian television. With little else to do, he found himself in the kitchen with his grandmother, watching her cook.

“That’s where I learned family recipes and soaked in everything about food,” Han tells PEOPLE exclusively over Zoom for his partnership with La Brea Bakery. “I was totally hooked.”

Han’s path to sandwich stardom didn’t begin in a test kitchen — it actually started in a hospital. After graduating from USC, he was working in food delivery for patients when a few college friends — one of whom had gone viral on TikTok with cooking videos — encouraged him to start sharing his own meals online.

“At first, I thought TikTok was just a dancing app. I had no idea there was this whole food world,” he says. “But with their encouragement, I decided to go for it.”

He wasn’t planning on creating a viral recipe that day — he just didn’t feel like grocery shopping. He had chicken, bacon and avocado in his fridge, so he figured, “Let me just film my lunch,” he recalls.

That simple sandwich turned out to be his first video to hit a million views — and it changed everything. Since then, he’s created a following of over 4.3 million followers on TikTok and 2.4 million followers on Instagram.

“It was cool to see something I genuinely love — sandwiches — resonate with so many people,” he says. “From there, I just kept posting sandwiches, and the virality followed. Suddenly, the comments started flooding in: ‘You’re the sandwich guy,’ ‘Sandwich King.’”

At first, Han wasn’t sure how to feel about the nickname. “I didn’t want to be put in a box. I was like, ‘I can cook more than just sandwiches!’” he says. “But I do love them — so eventually, I leaned into it. Now, if someone recognizes me in public, it’s never ‘Owen Han.’ It’s always, ‘Hey, sandwich guy!’ And I’m like, ‘Yup, that’s me.’”

When it comes to dreaming up new ideas, Han says inspiration is everywhere — especially on his phone.

“Honestly, just doom-scrolling TikTok and Instagram — my entire feed is food,” he says with a laugh. “Whenever I see something that looks good or I think I can put my own twist on, I save it.”

He draws heavily from his cultural background, too. “I like taking classic dishes I grew up eating and figuring out how to ‘sandwichify’ them,” he explains. “It’s fun to play with tradition and make it my own.”

Then, there are the constant suggestions from fans, friends and family. “I’m always asking people, ‘What’s your favorite sandwich?’” he says. “I get ideas sent to me all the time.”

To keep track, Han maintains a running list on both his phone and computer. “There’ve even been times I’ve woken up in the middle of the night with an idea,” he admits. “It sounds ridiculous, but I’ll literally roll over, write it down, and go back to sleep.”

Han also has a formula when it comes to making videos that stick.

“First of all, the build is everything,” he says. “Eyes eat first — and the first three seconds are the most important to grab someone’s attention,” he explains. “Sound plays a big role too. That’s why I always start with beautiful, golden, crusty bread, which is why partnering with LaBrea too, their loaves are golden beautiful — there’s a great visual and a satisfying crunch.”

Although his videos last just 30 seconds, there’s a lot that goes into making them.

“It’s at least a two-day process,” Han says. “I still edit everything myself, so filming alone can take three to four hours depending on the recipe. When I first started, shoots would last eight hours.”

Then there’s grocery shopping — his favorite part — plus cleanup and editing. If he really pushes, he can get it all done in 24 hours, but that means no sleep. Despite the intensity of the process, Han is careful not to waste any food.

“I hate wasting food,” he explains. “I’ll take a couple bites, and depending on what I’m eating, I might eat it throughout the week or even make deconstructed versions. I also share with family, friends, and neighbors — so nothing goes to waste.”

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And that iconic moment when the sandwich is sliced in half? It’s all carefully planned.

“The cross-section is huge,” Han says. “Once people see something they love, they want to know how it was built. So I always reveal that in the first few seconds.”

But when it comes to slicing, though, he draws a clear line between personal preference and what works on camera.

“If I’m eating just for fun, I love a diagonal cut. I feel like I get more sandwich — which makes no sense — but it’s easier to eat,” he says. “For videos, though, I slice straight down the middle. It opens up the sandwich perfectly to show all the layers.”