Commercial Drive needed a win this month, and it just got one.
Dante Italian Sandwich has officially opened on the Drive, and locals are already slipping it into their lunch rotation like it has always been here.
After watching a string of longtime spots disappear from the city this year, seeing a loved name return feels good in a way you can actually feel.
Dante opened its doors on November 20, marking the team’s second shop in Vancouver and their return to a place that helped shape their early history.
Dante’s team has deep roots in the neighbourhood through projects like Via Tevere, Don’t Argue Pizza, and Straight Outta Brooklyn.
If you have been inside their Downtown Vancouver location, stepping into this new space feels instantly familiar.
The same warm tile floors.
The same framed Italian hand gestures lining the wall.
The same mix of wood, plants, and little details that make the shop feel like a cozy pocket of Italy.
The new 1,000 square foot space has 14 seats and a clear view straight into the kitchen.
You can see the team shaping and baking their house made schiacciata bread, which is still the heart of every sandwich.
That bread is what made Dante famous in the first place.
Soft, fragrant, and pressed just enough to hold layers of prosciutto, capocollo, fior di latte, arugula, and olive oil.
Fans of their original lineup will recognize favourites like the Parma and Calabria, but the menu keeps things tight, focused, and true to what Dante does best.
It looks and feels like a carbon copy of their Downtown shop, but placed right into the heart of the Drive.
And the team is already working on another location inside Bentall Centre, bringing their sandwiches directly into the downtown office core.
For now, the Drive shop is open seven days a week from 11 AM to 7 PM, or until the last sandwich runs out.
For a neighbourhood that has seen both change and loss this year, Dante’s return adds a welcome sense of comfort.
It feels like something familiar coming back exactly when the community needed it.
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Address: 1110 Commercial Drive, Vancouver BC