Opening | Spedzira Caffè: Italian sandwiches and old school coffee

A new kid on the block appeared on rue Ontario Est this summer: Spedzira Caffè. A sandwich shop and Italian café, this friendly (and family-run) project has already won over the local crowd.

Three friends from the restaurant business are behind the new establishment: Stefano Sperduti, Luca Macera and Alen Dzinic. The owners wanted to offer the neighborhood affordable and quality options: you can easily get by for less than $20, sandwich and drink included.

So we stop at Spedzira Caffè to enjoy one of their simple but delicious sandwiches. We let ourselves be tempted by the Luca Mortadella, with mortadella, pesto and grilled peppers, or the Stefano Capicollo, with sopressata, marinated vegetables and spicy mayonnaise. The sandwiches are assembled on site, with fresh bread from the San Pietro bakery, and the service is fast and friendly. If we feel a little peckish, there are the salads of the day and the pastries – a soup will be added in the fall.

To quench your thirst, the café offers freshly squeezed lemonades, fresh juices and smoothies. You can also try its Italian-style coffees. “Our coffee is more rustic, like the old school in the 1990s,” says Stefano Sperduti, who is also the brother of one of the co-owners of the Bossa sandwich shop.

The mother of co-owner Luca Macera, who is a roaster (Sylphide Torréfactorie), provides them with a unique coffee blend. She even has a boutique inside the establishment. The owner of the premises, which had been vacant for many years, is none other than her spouse. It was therefore natural that the two projects would coexist in the new establishment, which aims to be a favorite place for people in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighborhood.

3434 Ontario Street East, Montreal