Donato Salomone wanted to open a deli in Potts Point. One that captured the old souls – and cold-cut meats – of the ones he grew up around in Naples. But with an edgy, contemporary sensibility.
“Always in Italy you wake up in the morning and you go and get fresh deli meat,” he says. “And I couldn’t find that in Australia.”
I wanted an old-school deli, reinvented in a cool way.”
Donato Salomone → Owner
So he convinced his brother-in-law to fly to Australia, and they set about searching for the right space to open an old-but-new Italian deli. They found it.
Finding the Perfect Home in Llankelly Place
Potts Point is one of Sydney’s most historic inner suburbs. But it also hums with modern energy. It’s a place filled with lifelong locals, backpackers, young professionals and colourful characters. That’s especially true of Llankelly Place – a short pedestrian strip that’s home to some of Sydney’s favourite bars, restaurants and cafes.
“I just fell in love, Potts Point is a beautiful location – especially this laneway,” Salomone says. “It feels like you’re in Italy.”
But there’s the venue you want to open, and then there’s the venue the neighbourhood wants you to open. Sometimes, they’re not the same thing. Salumerie wouldn’t be a deli for long.
The Sandwich That Started It All
“Initially it was just a deli with cheese, bread, fresh-cut meat, with sandwiches on the menu,” says Salomone.
One day, everything changed with a video of a sandwich.
I still remember it like it was yesterday – we put a video up on social media in the morning, and it went viral. By 10.30am, we had 200 people in line.”
Donato Salomone → Owner
The people didn’t want a deli – they wanted sandwiches.
“I was just making 30, 40, 50 sandwiches a day [back then],” Salomone says. “I couldn’t serve these 200 people but I was so grateful – so I gave everyone a docket and said “Tomorrow, come back – it’s on me, because I can’t serve everyone.””
Salomone worked through the night baking bread and preparing for the sandwich storm that was on its way. That day, the line was even bigger.
“It didn’t come from a place of marketing,” says Salomone. “It came from a place of: “I have to serve people.””
A Community That Keeps Coming Back
Everyone got served. People kept coming back. Salumerie may have started as a deli, but that week it became a sandwich shop. Though social media may have drawn those initial crowds, Salomone says that Potts Point is what kept Salumerie going – and growing.
“In Potts Point the community is fantastic and they’re loyal to you – they go to the same coffee shop, the same sandwich place, and they like to be remembered by name,” Salomone says. “If you come, I’ll already know your name, and I already know your order – that’s Potts Point.”
From One Deli to Four: Serving Sydney, One Sandwich at a Time
And by giving the neighbourhood what it wanted, Salomone got what he always wanted: now that sandwich service has speeded up, it’s back to being the deli – with excellent sangas – he always dreamed of.
Salumerie now has four locations, so don’t be surprised if one pops up in your neighbourhood. And if you have to line up for a while, don’t worry. They’ll make sure you’re served, even if it means staying up all night, and giving it to you for free. It will be worth the wait.
Want to know more about how Salumerie found the right neighbourhood to call home? Watch the Inner City episode of our video series Good Neighbours. ->
