A new Italian sandwich shop is now open in downtown Naperville, joining the growing list of eateries in the area.
Pronto Italian Sandwiches, located at 221 S. Washington St., opened its doors to customers on Tuesday, serving up a variety of authentic Italian handhelds all named after well-known actors, something owner Peter Burdi began with his first restaurant, Il Poggiolo Ristorante.
“The most popular sandwich is the Tarantino, which is a roasted breast of turkey, with microgreens, avocado, and cheddar. It’s one of our best sandwiches. Also, we have a chicken parmesan sandwich, which is called the Coppola, and again, that has mozzarella, basil pesto, on a Toscanino roll that we also make,” said Burdi.
In addition to sandwiches, the restaurant also has different soups and salads for customers to choose from. Alcohol selections and breakfast sandwiches will also be added to the menu in the coming weeks.
Sandwiches crafted with ingredients from Italy
According to Burdi, the majority of their ingredients, like their meats, are imported from Italy, and their secret ingredient, the Schiacciata bread, is made in-house using Italian flour.
“We hired an Italian baker that came and taught us how to do that specialty bread, and now it’s basically a staple for Pronto,” he said.
He explained that the idea for the restaurant came after he and his wife, Dana, took a trip to Italy to visit their daughter. While there, they enjoyed a sandwich at one of her favorite restaurants, which sparked the idea for Pronto Italian Sandwiches.
“We fell in love with the sandwiches and the flavors. And we came back and, my wife and I and Chef Saul, we sat down and came up with the plan on what kind of sandwiches we would like to make,” said Burdi.
Naperville becomes fourth location of Pronto Italian Sandwiches
The first restaurant was opened in Hinsdale in February 2024, originally as a pop-up shop inside Il Poggiolo, before moving to its own standalone building earlier this year.
Two other locations were later opened in Des Plaines and inside O’Hare Airport. The Naperville restaurant is the fourth location to open.
Burdi said he’s excited for the community to get a taste of Italy through their offerings.
“That’s the fun part to give somebody a sandwich and say, here, try this. This has got garlic aioli. This is our version of a turkey sandwich…That’s the fun of it, just to see people’s reactions to our new sandwiches,” he said.
The new business is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
