Antone’s Italian Eatery will hold a grand opening celebration Saturday, Nov. 16.
The decades-old sandwich shop is at the intersection of Brockton Avenue and Sunnyside Drive in Riverside. It occupies a 1,700-square-foot building constructed as a home in the 1920s, and still resembles one from the outside.
It was acquired a year ago by new owners, Jamie Sheldon and ChrisHawkins, who have spent the last year renovating the aging building, according to a post on the eatery’s Facebook page.
They might make a slight change in the name of the business, which was Antone’s Italian Foods. It was founded by Anthony “Tony” and Mary Verani in 1965.
In phone interview, Sheldon said he and Hawkins wanted to save a beloved neighborhood institution.
Although the building is being refreshed, the menu is the same, according to Sheldon. It features about a dozen cold sandwiches as well as hot sandwiches, pizza and pasta. Prices range from $11 to $15.75.
The best-selling grinder is the Mafia, made with salami, ham and provolone, said Sheldon. But Uncle Ed, a hot meatball sandwich, is gaining on it.
Antone’s is a fast casual restaurant. Customers order at the counter and are brought their food to a couple of dining rooms decorated with stills from Al Pacino movies and other Italian imagery.
The grand opening will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon and a giveaway of gift cards for every 50 sandwiches sold, the Facebook post said.
The address is 4125 Sunnyside Drive, Riverside.
Information: 951-534-0721, antonesitalianeatery.com
