Can this chef open a Hampden sandwich shop in 30 days?

One day after Anthony Lanasa was let go from his job as a chef at Peabody Heights Brewery, he shared an announcement. He was opening a new restaurant — and he wanted to do it in a month.

“Can I open a restaurant in 30 days?” reads the text in a video featuring Lanasa as he sips from a mug and stares at a computer monitor. “Follow to find out!”

Over the past week, Lanasa has teased details about his new concept on Instagram as he’s brought viewers along on his quest, even documenting his trip to city permit offices.

Those city permit offices willing, Lanasa will open Pressed, a sandwich and panini shop in Hampden, on Oct. 29. The storefront at 3528 Chestnut Ave. was previously home to Maillard Patisserie.

In a neighborhood already dense with restaurants, Lanasa said he hopes to stand out by offering affordable and healthy options such as a tuna salad sandwich for just $7. “We’re trying to try to make a place for that area that is very quick, in and out, but always filling and kind of healthy,” he said.

Other options will include chicken salad sandwiches with craisins, tarragon and green apple; Italian cold cut subs that can be served hot or cold; and portobello mushroom paninis with goat cheese. He also plans to partner with local businesses like Cane Collective for beverage mixers to create custom drinks and to spotlight locally made goods.

He won’t be working alone: Tony Levan, who worked with Lanasa at Peabody, will join him as an employee and business partner.

Pressed will start with only lunch before adding breakfast and the occasional evening pop-up. Down the line, the father of two wants to offer customers meal plans that include a pack of five weekly lunches or cost-effective dinners for a family of four. After all, feeding his family was the inspiration to start the business.

“I need to make money within a certain period of time,” Lanasa said. “I’m literally betting on my experience and skills.”

The 30-day timeline is drawing on his experience in the business world, including opening his own business, Towson’s Court Towers Cafe, at 21, and then a Fleet Street eatery called B3. He later worked as a personal chef to former Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon, an experience he said was “a lot of fun.”

Lanasa joined Peabody Heights last year, running its Korean-influenced Concession Stand fare. But he and his former bosses had different visions for the operation, said Peabody co-owner Eddie O’Keefe. “We just wanted two different things,” O’Keefe said. “We wish him the best of luck.”

A frequent exerciser, Lanasa said he prioritizes nutrition in his diet and will do so at Pressed, offering calorie information for every sandwich he sells. “I put a lot of thought into trying to balance food for people,” he said, making meals that are both fun to eat and good for the body.

But the shop’s name isn’t a workout reference; rather, Lanasa said it’s about the panini press he plans to use. “I’ve come up with a couple slogans for it, too. ‘Whether you’re pressed for time or pressed for a good bite, come get Pressed,’” he said. “And I always say, ‘Don’t get depressed, get Pressed.’”

The coming weeks will tell whether Lanasa can stick to his whirlwind opening timeline, but “I am on track for everything so far,” he said, just after picking up the keys for his new storefront. He already has a health inspection scheduled for next week. “I’m kind of shocked myself.”