Panini of Florence • Since 1945 Midtown, NYC Mon - Fri: 7:30am - 6pm Sat - Sun: 9am - 4pm #anticonoe www.anticonoe.com
For over 70 years Antico Noè has built a cult-like following out of a tiny storefront in an arcaded alley off the Piazza San Pier Maggiore in Florence, Italy serving delicious and authentic Italian panini. Now, thanks to two young entrepreneurs Michael Grant and Vinny Dautaj (who met while living in Florence nine years ago), Antico Noè has arrived in the U.S. with its first store in Midtown Manhattan replicating the Florentine legend down to its last breadcrumb. After graduating from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, Michael quickly established himself in the world of corporate restructuring and despite a burgeoning career, he always had a hankering to do more….to create his own destiny. Who knew this destiny would stem from a semester studying Renaissance Art in Florence, Italy in 2007. Michael spent the semester in Florence coming to appreciate the art, history and culture, but most of all, the food. Something that would set him on a path to become the entrepreneur he had always imagined himself to be. While living in Florence, Michael, as most others visiting and living in Florence, came to love Antico Noè, going as far as eating there at least three times a week. Truth is, so did a lot of visitors before him. The difference is, it stayed with Michael from the moment he left Italy. Also during his time in Florence, Michael would befriend his now business partner Vinny Dautaj, who worked at a local restaurant in Florence. As fate continued to play its hand, Vinny would go on to marry an American girl, move to New York and reconnect with Michael. Monthly catch-ups often turned into discussions of dreams and goals. The two of them, both itching to do more, kept coming back to the incredible business and following of Antico Noè and how nothing in NYC compares. The two formed a strategy for Vinny’s next trip home to Florence where he would recite a well rehearsed pitch to convince the owners of Antico Noè to let the duo replicate their authenticity in the US. After months of discussions, the two, utilizing their respective backgrounds in corporate finance and restaurant operations, convinced the Italian owners to expand the brand to the U.S. under their control. To ensure consistent quality and an adherence to tradition and taste, the US-based team studied and trained at the Florence location learning the various secret bread and sauce recipes, as well as coming to understand the magic of the little “sandwich shop” in order to replicate and offer an authentic panini experience.
My name is Luca, I work in Antico Nou00e9. My job is in the other store, I make the sandwich for the students. The store of the next store is from 1561. The old name is Ibikerai, now it's Antico Nou00e9, but the old name is Ibikerai. I work here from 11 years, my work is my work from 25 years. I am manager of the old store, I think everything. The menu, by the ingredients, the new sandwich, the new ingredient, the new everything, I think, with Andrea. My name is Andrea, I work in the sandwich shop, where I have 18, 19 years old, I finish high school, regular school, I don't want to go to the university. My father is the boss of the Antico Nou00e9 shop, he is I come in Antico Nou00e9, so many people from New York. The guide from New York came here and asked us if it's possible to open it in New York. The opening is maybe October, November, I don't know exactly the location, I know in the New York in Manhattan, I don't know exactly now the location. Same thing, store, same thing, menu, everything is the same thing. The customers leave one email, because when we open in New York, we will send one email. It's possible, I don't know, between two, three years, you may order a store in Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Miami. Now is the flawless, but you can find Antico Nou00e9 in New York.