Long before block-long queues formed for a viral focaccia, Peter Raineri spent his Saturday mornings navigating a different kind of crowd. Before TikTok and Instagram, customers lined the counter of his Five Dock continental deli, shoulder-to-shoulder, arguing over who was next in line.
When the Raineris floated the idea of a ticket system to manage the rush, regulars revolted. They threatened to boycott the shop – the “Saturday morning stoush” was half the fun.
That communal energy sustained the family-run Raineri’s for decades. Peter, who opened P&R Raineri’s Continental Deli on Great North Road in 1981, died last Saturday, aged 90.
“My mum and dad decided to get into the deli business, which was very popular among the Italian community back then,” Peter’s son, Sam, said.
“They started in the small shop, and it expanded from there. It got really popular over time … people just love to come and see us and have a chat.”
Raineri’s has long been a sanctuary for Italian Australians, stacked with chargrilled eggplant, prosciutto, wood-fired breads and enormous wheels of cheese. It also catered to customers seeking the specific staples of their home provinces. The Herald previously reported on Peter’s understanding of those loyalties: Sicilians drink Torissi, Calabrese drink Mauro, and Neapolitans drink Kimbo.
Peter’s presence at the deli was a main reason customers kept returning, Sam says. He still hears stories about his father decades on.
“My dad was always open to everybody,” Sam said. “Because he treated everyone equally, we got this generational thing. Families, their kids coming in, and it’s like, ‘I remember your dad gave me a panino for free when I was six,’ and now they’re married with kids.”
More recently, Raineri’s became known for its sandwiches. Social media brought a new audience, drawing customers from across Sydney who line up outside for focaccia filled with cut-to-order cured meats, cheeses, and marinated eggplant and capsicum.
Despite their generous sizes, the sandwiches are $15, no matter what goes on them. Peter was determined to keep his panini affordable.
Peter’s sons, Joseph and Sam, will keep Raineri’s going, having taken over day-to-day operations when their father, then 86, stepped back to tend to his garden. For the four decades before that, Sam said, his father practically lived at the deli.
Even his death did not stop the doors from opening. Sam said they considered closing for a day, but it wouldn’t have been in his father’s spirit.
“We’re going to close on the day of the funeral, but that’s it,” Sam said. “My dad, he’d always send my mum to people’s funerals. He’d always be at the shop because he was so in love with the shop. That was his life, that was his old mentality – the shop came first, and everything else came second.”
While still coming to terms with his father’s passing, Sam said he is beginning to see those traits in himself.
“It’s not just a deli. People want to experience it … I see it now. They want to come in, say hello and have a chat,” he said.
“That’s why they’ll line up for an hour.”
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