Paninoteca
1660 Upper James,
Hamilton, Ontario
Though we may not come from tight-knit Italian families, visiting Paninoteca made us feel as if we did. We were welcomed by the owner, whose whole family was a part of the restaurant. The girls in the “Paninoteca family” were playing board games in the front and there was no uncomfortable hoighty-toighty-ness about it. (…Is that a word?) Paninoteca is full of Italian comfort.
Logo
The logo on the sign doesn’t have a lot to it. It’s a strong bold font that seems a bit futuristic in our opinion. Not really what we think of when we think about their brand as a whole – but it’s not a bad logo by any means and it gets the attention of travellers heading down Upper James.
Food and Reviews
Paninoteca is famous for it’s veal sandwiches (which we found out are apparently often called ‘the Facebook sandwich’ as they’re talked about so often online). We didn’t realize this until after we had ordered, but the food we did taste was delicious and home-made. Just like a Nonna would make.
Between us we tried a garden salad, tortellini with marinara sauce, spaghetti with meatballs and a prosciutto sandwich. Everything was fresh – even the salad dressing was homemade which we loved. The pasta had the perfect amount of homemade marinara sauce. Our mouths are watering just thinking about it. The proscuitto sandwich was okay. Fresh ingredients again, but it needed some sort of sauce. (Should have opted in for those $1 extra toppings.)
Atmosphere
Though Paninoteca is in a strip mall, it doesn’t diminish from the atmosphere. It’s just like being at Nonna’s house. Your “restaurant-family” is all around, and the decor is a mix of vintage-dowdy decor meets family-run modern sandwich shop.
Brand
Their brand is entirely focused around the food. Good, homemade food. Though the brand may not be as modern and visually-appealing as we usually go for, their food is famous (especially the veal sandwiches) and that’s enough to bring people in by the droves. On their sign out front they even advertise their famous veal sandwich in two separate places. We call that good advertising!
Social Media Campaign
Website: None that we could find.
Facebook: Paninoteca Upper James
Twitter: None that we could find.
Instagram: None that we could find.
Suggestions
A website is a MUST in business! We would love to see more work on their social media and a more well-defined brand. We suggest they start with the brand, figure out how to play up on the “Nonna’s Kitchen” and “Family Restaurant” aspect. Amp up the social media with the use of Twitter and Instagram. Afterall – the veal sandwich doesn’t have to just be the “Facebook sandwich” it could be the “Twitter sandwich” and the “Instagram sandwich” as well.
Been to Paninoteca? Review it with us!
