09/15/2026
4 years ago today.
I shook Alan’s hand, got the keys to this empty building, and officially took possession of what would become the first Dante’s Delicatessen.
The next morning I showed up with a crowbar and my little toolbox. I covered the windows with paper so nobody could see what I was doing and started ripping the place apart myself.
I really had no idea what that handshake was going to turn into.
Four years later, Dante’s has grown into two delis, an entire cafeteria division stretching from the Niagara region to Renfrew County, a catering division serving everyone from schools and hockey organizations to government institutions, political events, racing teams and major corporations, and a growing wholesale division supplying our products to other businesses.
A lot has happened in four years. A lot of long days, mistakes, lessons, risks, wins, losses and figuring s**t out as we went.
But looking at this picture, the craziest part to me is that I genuinely feel like we’ve only scratched the surface.
I’m proud of what our team has built, proud of where we came from, and extremely excited about where we’re going.
Four years down. We’re just getting started.
See you in another four. 🥂
