On a narrow street near Palazzo Vecchio in Florence’s historic centre, a line spills from a small street-food shop that’s stood in this spot for more than 30 years. Paper-wrapped sandwiches are stacked high, and hands move quickly behind the counter, slicing open freshly baked bread and filling it to order. Layers of salumi, soft cheeses and house-made spreads are layered generously, almost to the point of collapse. The sandwiches are built in seconds, each one wrapped and passed across the counter with practised precision, the signature schiacciata flatbread still warm in the hand.

This is the original All’Antico Vinaio. And soon, it’s coming to Sydney, as the family-run company prepares to open its first Aussie outpost in Circular Quay with help from a local team that includes Masterchef judge and Three Blue Ducks co-owner Andy Allen.

I visited the original for the first time on a trip to Florence in 2023. I’m Italian, so I approached with a degree of scepticism – could a sandwich really live up to so much hype? It didn’t take long to find out. The first bite was all contrast: crisp, golden bread with a soft, airy centre layered with rich fillings. Pistachio cream slipped down my chin, messy but too good to care about. Somewhere between bites, standing in the middle of a crowded Florentine street, I realised that, yes, this was more than just a sandwich. It was an experience that I didn’t want to end.

What is now a globally recognised brand began as a modest neighbourhood sandwich shop, built on the simple idea of serving schiacciata – Tuscany’s answer to focaccia – to locals. In the early days, word of mouth carried its reputation beyond the city. Tourists who stumbled across the place would return home talking about it, even sending postcards back to All’Antico Vinaio once they got home.

Slowly, a network of loyal regulars formed, but the turning point came when owner Tommaso Mazzanti got savvy with social media and communication. The sandwiches gained global attention. Recognising the potential to expand within the city, in 2012 he opened a second shop. By 2017, there were four locations across Florence.

The first move beyond the city came with an opening in Milan in 2020, a year marked by global uncertainty as the pandemic unfolded. It was a significant leap, and there was no guarantee it would work. But the response was immediate. On day one, customers began lining up at 4am, in scenes that looked more like the queue for a concert than a sandwich.

Soon afterwards, a partnership with Wall-Street-trader-turned-restaurateur Joe Bastianich saw All’Antico Vinaio land in the United States, first through pop-ups in New York and Los Angeles. Their success quickly paved the way for permanent locations around the world.

Despite the rapid expansion, quality remains key. “Quality is the most important thing and something we never compromise on,” says franchising lead Claudia Mazzanti, Tommaso’s sister. “There’s rigorous training for teams across all locations; whether in Florence or abroad, the aim is consistency at every step.”

That means nailing popular sandwiches such as the Paradiso, filled with mortadella, pistachio cream and stracciatella, and finished with chopped pistachios; the Favolosa, with sbriciolona salami, house-made pecorino cream, artichoke cream and spicy eggplant; and the Italiana, layered with 18-month Prosciutto di Parma PDO, buffalo mozzarella, tomato and basil pesto; and some strong vegetarian options. As the brand expands, it develops regional variations too. “We bring Florentine flair around the world, but then there’s a local specialty,” Claudia says – so Sydneysiders can expect an Australian-only sanga.

But, above all, it keeps coming back to the schiacciata – a crisp, chewy Florentine flatbread (the name literally means “squished”) that’s not nearly as well travelled as focaccia, ciabatta and pane di casa. “At first, schiacciata was only available in Florence,” Claudia explains. “But our vision is to bring a little corner of Florence with us into the world.”

That vision is rooted in the pair’s childhood: “The focaccia with mortadella, the schiacciata we ate as kids,” she continues. “[We’re] bringing a food that has been with us since we were children – it was our afternoon snack – outside the walls of Florence.”

Beyond the food, Antico’s atmosphere is a top priority. In Florence, Antico is shaped as much by the street as by the sandwich itself: the noise, the crowd, the constant movement. These are places you can linger, take in your surroundings and fall into conversation with others in line, enjoying your schiacciata however you like: sitting, standing or walking. That energy is what the team wants to capture in Sydney – alongside the small, almost invisible details that define the experience.

Together we visit Florence’s six All’Antico Vinaio outposts, each one busy in its own way. The process quickly becomes familiar: step inside, order, observe, taste, repeat. Sandwiches are pulled apart and examined. The structure of the schiacciata is discussed in detail. The ratio of fillings is debated. Even the speed of assembly becomes a point of focus.

The Australian opening marks the first time the Antico team has allowed someone external to the family business look after the brand. The main task? Striking the balance between replication and adaptation. What needs to stay the same? What can shift? How do you translate something so tied to place into a different setting? Can it really be done?

The new venue will trade medieval streets for harbour views, but the format remains largely unchanged: fast-paced and accessible, with sandwiches assembled in full view of customers.

Tommaso will visit Sydney in July for the launch, ensuring the experience sticks close to the original, even as the brand’s story evolves as it moves into new territory.

In Florence, as the sun begins to set, the line outside shows no sign of slowing. Another round of sandwiches is wrapped and handed over, unwrapped and eaten. If that rhythm carries over to Sydney, it won’t take long for the same busy scene to play out on the edge of the harbour.

All’Antico Vinaio opens at 50 Pitt Street, Circular Quay, on July 17, 2026.