Family Owned Since 1967
Our Story
Three generations, one recipe, and a whole lot of Toronto lunches. Here's how a small counter on Dufferin Street became the sandwich everyone talks about.
Est.
1967
Toronto
How It Started
A Small Counter, A Big Appetite
In 1967, Sergio and Maria Costa arrived in Toronto with a suitcase, a bread recipe passed down from Sergio's father in Calabria, and just enough savings to rent a narrow storefront on Dufferin Street.
They sold what they knew — cured meats, fresh bread, and simple, honest sandwiches — to a neighbourhood of factory workers and families who quickly became regulars. Within a few years, the line stretched out the door most lunch hours.
Everything about The Big Panino today, from the recipes to the way we treat customers, still traces back to that first counter.
Nearly Six Decades
From One Shop To A Toronto Staple
1967
A Counter On Dufferin Street
Sergio and Maria Costa open a small sandwich counter in Toronto's west end, slicing bread and cured meats the way Sergio's father taught him back home in Calabria.
1974
The Panino Everyone Talks About
After years of tweaking the bun, the roast, and the sauce, the sandwich that gives the shop its name finally clicks. Word spreads, and the lineup starts forming down the block.
1989
The Next Generation Steps In
Sergio and Maria's kids join the business, opening a second shop while keeping the same recipes, the same suppliers, and the same hands-on approach behind the counter.
2003
Feeding The Whole Neighbourhood
Catering becomes part of the business — office lunches, weddings, and backyard parties across the GTA, all built from the same platters we'd serve our own family.
Today
Third Generation, Same Recipe
Now run in part by Sergio and Maria's grandchildren, The Big Panino serves Toronto from multiple locations — still slicing meat, baking bread, and rolling sauce from scratch every morning.
What Hasn't Changed
The Things We'll Never Cut Corners On
Family Owned Since Day One
No franchise playbook, no shortcuts — every location is still run by people who grew up behind the counter.
Made Fresh, Every Morning
Bread is baked, meat is roasted, and sauce is made from scratch at each shop before the doors open.
The Original Recipe, Unchanged
The panino you eat today follows the same recipe Sergio perfected in 1974 — we've never seen a reason to change it.
Part Of The Neighbourhood
From little league teams to office lunches to family funerals, we've fed this city's biggest and smallest moments for decades.
“My father used to say a sandwich isn't fast food if you make it right. Fifty-plus years later, we still make every one like it's for family — because most days, it is.”
The Costa Family · Owners, The Big Panino
Behind The Counter
A Little Look At How We Do It
Come Say Hello
Taste The Story Yourself
Fifty-plus years of recipes are waiting at a counter near you. Find your nearest shop or drop us a line — we'd love to hear from you.