An Italian sandwich shop will be joining the list of eateries in downtown Naperville this summer, according to Peter Burdi, founder of Pronto Italian Sandwiches.
Pronto Italian Sandwiches is set to take space at the former BD’s Mongolian Grill at 221 S Washington St., which will be split into two units, said Katie Wood, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance. Wood said the second space on the property has not yet been leased.
What is Pronto Italian Sandwiches?
Pronto Italian Sandwiches was founded by Burdi, his wife, Dana, and chef Saul Maya. The concept came to Burdi while he was visiting Italy.
“My daughter was there studying abroad, and she took us out to have one of her favorite sandwiches. We tried these sandwiches and fell in love with the meats and cheeses, but mainly what we fell in love with was the bread,” said Peter Burdi.
That bread is schiacciata, a thin and crispy bread that Pronto Italian Sandwiches makes in-house with flours imported from Italy, according to Burdi.
The restaurant offers 11 types of sandwiches with a variety of meat, cheese, and vegetable options on either schiacciata or torpedo bread. They also serve soups and salads.
Pronto Italian Sandwiches coming soon to Naperville
The Naperville restaurant will be Pronto Italian Sandwiches’ third location. Construction has already begun, with plans to open in June.
It will offer both dine-in and takeout options. Hours for the restaurant are still being finalized.
“I think we’re going to shoot for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to start, every day, but that could change with demand,” said Burdi.
He added that they will also be applying for a liquor license to serve alcohol.
“I think it’s going to be nice for the community to come in and have a beer or glass of wine with a sandwich in the location,” said Burdi.
Originally from Hinsdale
Pronto Italian Sandwiches opened its first location in Hinsdale in February 2024 as a pop-up shop inside another of Burdi’s restaurants, Il Poggiolo Ristorante, at 8 E 1st St. That location is set to relocate to its own standalone space in the coming weeks at 114 S Washington St., Hinsdale.
Its second location opened at Chicago O’Hare International Airport in November 2024.
Burdi said he’s excited to soon bring Pronto Italian Sandwiches to Naperville.
“It’s such a vibrant community. I just thought it would be a great place to open one, and I think we’re going to do very well there,” said Burdi.
Photo courtesy: Pronto Italian Sandwiches
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