Photo by George Mahe
Fans of the legendary Amighetti's Special will soon have another spot to pick up “St. Louis’ signature sandwich.”
The former Hanneke Hardware building at 5390 Southwest (the corner of Southwest and Macklind) will soon serve as the home of a new Amighetti’s sandwich shop, as well as a second location for Hank’s Cheesecakes, slated to open in mid-November.
Owner Anthony Favazza bought Amighetti's in 2016, exactly a century after Luigi Amighetti first founded Amighetti's on The Hill. For the past several years, Amighetti’s sole location has been at 9631 Manchester in Rock Hill. Then, late last year, Favazza acquired another local treasure, Hank's Cheesecakes.
Here’s what to know before you go to the new location, where Favazza will bring two iconic St. Louis brands together under one roof.
The Space
Photo by George Mahe
Favazza has cleverly mixed old and new aspects at the Hanneke building, which he bought in 2015 (before he acquired Amighetti’s). After an attempt to convert it into a multi-tenant retail space, including a coffee shop, he decided to re-create Amighetti's, which had recently closed nearby.
During renovation, the building’s green-and-black Vitrolite panels from the 1940's were uncovered, revealing the faded ‘Hanneke’ etched onto them. St. Louis–based Vitrolite Specialist completely restored the panels, adding the restaurant's name.
Photos by Bob Travaglione and George Mahe
Some of the lettering on the original Hanneke Hardware and Paint neon sign from the 1950s was altered to reflect the present; the word “paint” was replaced by neon stripes, and “hardware” was retexted into “building,” so it now reads "Hanneke Building."
“I was going to leave it the way it was, but there have been so many people coming in and asking, ‘I need a hammer’ or ‘can I buy some nails?’ that I felt better about changing it,” Favazza says. He also added a corner entrance for visibility and convenience.
To the casual observer, the concrete counter looks like the counter where people bought nuts and bolts for years, and the counter's facing is made from wooden doors placed sideways to create an historic and industrial look. Sculptures of old barnwood hang from the ceiling in two places, not only driving home the well-aged theme but also dampening sound. The bathroom walls are finished in a new-looks-old tile that matches the look and feel of the rest of the building. “Everything you see is designed to look old and original,” Favazza says, “to match the original brick walls and wood floor.”
Favazza even hired a historic sign painter to add several signs to the interior and exterior brick walls. “These will be new versions of ‘ghost signs,’” he explains regarding the faded advertising signs, which can be seen on many brick buildings in St. Louis, some layered on top of one another. “Again, the idea is for Amighetti’s to look like it’s been in the neighborhood for more than 100 years.”
The Food
Courtesy of Amighetti's
Amighetti's menu has long been anchored by the "Special," a hoagie made with three meats and one cheese (Provel, of course) that's fully dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, pepperoncini, and a healthy squirt of its signature Special sauce. For decades, it was the sandwich by which all other sub-style versions were judged.
Over the years, the sandwich menu has been expanded to include eight versions of the special, plus seven hot sandwiches, from the standard meatball to a riff with salmon and spinach meatballs, made in house. The appetizer, salad, and pasta options are similarly deep. There's even a signature soup–ribollita–the hearty Tuscan staple made with vegetables and bread.
Favazza says plans are in the works for a few new items, and for continuity, those items will be added at both locations. Both Coke and Pepsi products will be sold at the new location, a first for Amighetti's.
Photo by George Mahe
To-go orders are shuttled to a counter in a nondescript side room (which can also be accessed from Macklind Avenue), which serves as a mini second location for Hank’s Cheesecakes, complete with refrigerated case and a staffer finishing more than a dozen varieties of cheesecakes, mini cheesecakes, and standard cakes. Placing a pickup area in the middle of a little cheesecake store was nothing short of pure genius. “We’re pretty sure we’ll sell some slices out of here,” Favazza deadpans.
“I have two incredible brands—Amighetti’s and Hank’s,” he adds, “and I wanted the emphasis here to be on the former without ignoring the latter. So you'll be able to add a piece of cheesecake to your Amighetti’s to-go order, or pick up an entire cheesecake, or get a piece in the restaurant.”
The Backstory
Favazza grew up on Reber Place, a block from the Hanneke building. “Even though the building was built in the 1890s, in my life, it had always been Hanneke Hardware," he says. "It expanded several times over the years, but the neon Hanneke sign was always a sign that I was home.”
As a youth, Favazza spent countless hours working at the family restaurant just down the street and hanging out at Amighetti’s. “I went to school across the street from Amighetti’s,” he told SLM in 2017. "In my mind, the holy trinity of St. Louis fast-casual food was Ted Drewes, Imo’s, and Amighetti’s."
Favazza later attended college in D.C., law school in Virginia, and worked as a corporate attorney in New York. In 2008, he returned to St. Louis. Still feeling a connection to the name and the bread, he bought Amighetti's in 2016, including the parent company, so he could determine the menu, quality, and standards, as well as their location in Rock Hill. Dominic Consolino and his wife had operated the Amighetti’s Hill location for two years as a franchisee, operating under the parent company. After they declined the opportunity to purchase the parent company, Favazza stepped up and took the reigns. After some controversy, the Consolinos renamed the place Colino’s Café and Bakery, which ended up closing in December 2019.
In 2020, during the pandemic, Favazza added a market component to the Rock Hill location. Not long after, he added Wittycue, a ghost kitchen under the same roof that's open seven days a week until 4 a.m. (just like Amighetti's) and specializes in vegetarian and vegan barbecue, including jackfruit-based sandwiches.
Courtesy of Hank's Cheesecakes
Banana cheesecake topped with peanut butter and chocolate was named "The King," in honor of Elvis Presley.
Then, late last year, Favazza acquired another local treasure, buying Hank’s Cheesecakes from founder Hank Krussel. (Coincidentally, Favazza worked at the Cheesecake Factory while in college. Regarding the corporate juggernaut, he told SLM that “I always loved cheesecake and the cheesecake business, and they were better at doing so many things beyond that.”) Short of using a third-party service to deliver cheesecakes and adding an occasional flavor—such as banana pudding and pumpkin swirl for the holidays—Hank's recipes and the business model remain unchanged.
Likewise, Favazza’s family remains part of the industry: His father, uncle, and brother own Favazza’s at 5201 Southwest, and the family owns banquet and reception center Rose of the Hill at 2300 Edwards.
Courtesy of Amighetti's
Marge Amighetti in March 2021
Nearby, the former Amighetti’s Bakery space on the Hill remains vacant, but Favazza plans to resume Amighetti breadmaking in another phase of the Hanneke building's renovation. “Since the franchisee closed our bakery, we’ve been using Fazio’s bread for our sandwiches,” Favazza says. “When we reopen Amighetti’s Bakery around the corner, we’ll start making bread again, the way Amighetti’s did for over a century.”
Favazza also notes that he remains close with Marge Amighetti, the company’s longtime matriarch. She’s already stopped by the forthcoming Amighetti’s location and “became very emotional seeing Amighetti’s history throughout the space,” Favazza says. “Marge turns 95 on November 13. We plan to open softly on that day and to the public later in the month.”
