Iconic Toronto sandwich shop closing after over 70 years

One of Toronto's longest-standing sandwich shops is about to close permanently after more than seven decades.

Toronto is home to a staggering number of sandwich shops that only seem to be multiplying by the minute, but some have been around since before sando-mania gripped the city.

Little Italy's San Francesco Foods, for example, has been keeping Toronto fed with its fill of all things between two pieces of bread (on top of a handful of other Italian classics) for the past 71 years.

A family-owned gem to boot, the restaurant first opened the doors of its original Clinton Street location in 1954, and has kept the city supplied with its legendary veal sandwiches ever since.

Though other branches of the business, including ventures in North and East York, have come and gone over the years, the Clinton flagship has held it down: one of the last remaining original Italian-owned businesses in the neighbourhood.

Until this Monday, Dec. 22, that is.

On Thursday, Dec. 18, the sandwich shop took to its social media accounts to announce that, in just a few short days, it would be closing down for good, bringing to a close a scarcely paralleled legacy in the city.

"We are saddened to announce that [...] we will be closing the 10 Clinton Street location permanently," the post reads.

"We appreciate all the support and love from the community for the last 71 years. We will still be serving until Sunday December 21 2025."

This won't be the last you'll see from San Francesco in Toronto, though. The post goes on to tease a residency in the Food Building at the 2026 CNE — you'll just have to make it until August.

If your last-minute holiday shopping brings you anywhere near the Little Italy area this weekend, do yourself a favour and order one last sandwich from one of the city's most iconic shops and say your 'see you laters' to the team.

San Francesco Foods still operates one remaining location in Mississauga at 3045 Clayhill Rd.