Teenie Panini proving to be a hit among local foodies
Business is brisk at new Virgil café and bakery
There’s one thing noticeably absent from the menu at the Teenie Panini Bakery and Café in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
That would be paninis — and it’s something that co-owner Sam Futia said may be rectified in the near future, provided there’s a demand.
“Oddly enough, people haven’t been asking,” he said during a lull at the eatery.
Those lulls have been hard to come by since the café opened its doors on Nov. 8. In a short few weeks, the café has become a go-to place in the village of Virgil for people to drop in for a coffee and a sandwich, especially the veal Parmesan.
“The veal sandwich is our best seller,” Futia said.
“And the lasagna,” co-owner Tina Pagnotta added.
Futia is not new to the bakery game; his family owns and operates La Farina Bakery in Niagara Falls. In fact, the baked goods like muffins, cheesecakes and, of course, the bread available at Teenie Panini are brought over from there.
“Everything we make there, we send here,” he said. “All my staff in Niagara Falls have to work three times as hard now because of all we’re selling.
“There are a lot of people from Niagara-on-the-Lake who know me from there.”
Pagnotta agreed.
The original idea was to call the café La Farina as well, Futia said, but his partner in the venture had other plans.
“It’s a play on my name,” Pagnotta said with a smile.
The café offers sweet treats such as muffins and cookies plus hot meals such as the aforementioned veal Parm and lasagna. Diners can also try Teenie Panini’s eggplant sandwiches, meatball sandwiches, pasta and gnocchi. All items are reasonably priced, with no item costing more than $9.50.
“People really like the hot table,” Pagnotta said. “Locals here are really loving it.”
The café is in the old Virgil fire hall, which meant that a lot of prep work went into making the space suitable for a café.
“It was just an empty shell,” Pagnotta said.
The café marked a return to the restaurant game for Pagnotta, who more recently has spent time in the hotel industry.
“I worked for someone else back then,” she said. “It came to a point where I wanted to be my own boss.”
Teenie Panini Bakery and Café is at 1607 Four Mike Creek Rd. Hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The café is closed on Tuesday.