‘All the flavors worked’: Italian sandwich shop opens in Des Plaines

The Des Plaines storefront that formerly was home to B’s Sweet Bites is once again open to customers — but with a new name and a decidedly different menu.

Pronto Italian Sandwiches opened last week at 1641 Oakton Place.

It’s the third Pronto; others operate at 114 S. Washington St. in Hinsdale and Terminal 1 at O’Hare International Airport.

Pronto sets itself apart from other sandwich shops by using schiacciata bread, a flatbread that has a crispy exterior and soft interior. Ingredients typically are stuffed inside the bread.

Co-owner Peter Burdi said he and his wife, Dana, discovered schiacciata while traveling in Italy with their daughter.

“We fell in love with this bread,” Burdi said.

An Italian baker taught them how to make schiacciata, and now they bake it in-house for their sandwiches.

The Burdis also are behind Il Poggiolo Ristorante and Nabuki, both in Hinsdale. The first Pronto started as a pop-up outlet inside Il Poggiolo, Peter Burdi said.

Pronto’s sandwiches bear the names of Italian celebrities, most from the movie industry. That’s because Il Poggiolo operates on the site of a former silent movie theater, Burdi said.

The Brando, for example, includes capicola, mortadella, salami and provolone among its ingredients; the Pacino has prosciutto, mozzarella, truffle pecorino cream and arugula.

If you’d prefer a vegetarian sandwich, the DiCaprio includes sliced tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers and mozzarella.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Burdi said of the Hollywood hook. “People like it.”

The restaurant is in Des Plaines’ 5th Ward, and Alderman Thomas Merlin already has been by to grab a sandwich. He went for the Tarantino, which has roasted turkey breast, aged white cheddar cheese, pickled red onions and avocado.

“It was really good,” Merlin said. “All the flavors worked well.”

Foot traffic and sales have exceeded the Burdis’ expectations. While the restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. now, they plan to extend operating hours to 8 p.m. as soon as next week, Peter Burdi said.

Additionally, a full-service Pronto Ristorante should open for evening dining next door within a month or so, Burdi said.

Pronto’s predecessor on Oakton Place, B’s Sweet Bites, was a restaurant and bakery that closed in February after more than 11 years. The bakery’s products now are available at the North suburban Once Upon a Bagel restaurants and at Arlington Heights’ farmers markets, according to its Facebook page.