BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: PICCOLO PETE

A quick review of Piccolo Pete on the popular social networking, user review website yelp tells you all you need to know about this delicatessen – “great sandwiches and friendly owner/staff.” According to Piccolo Pete aka John Siri, you can’t beat The Godfather, a gargantuan sandwich stacked with all the Italian meats, cheese, virgin olive oil, peppercinis, and artichoke hearts. But it’s not the shear girth of these delicious sandwiches that keeps customers coming back, its value. “It’s the only place in town where you can get a high-quality Columbus or Milan Salami sandwich for $4.75.”


Piccolo Pete has an assortment of deli meats and sandwiches, all for under $5.00. While affordable hot and cold sandwiches of all kinds maybe their specialty, the deli also has a variety of soups, rice plates, and cafeteria style hot-plates sure to hit the spot for lunch, dinner and especially on gameday. There is no mistaking the draw of Piccolo Pete for tailgaters picking up pre-game essentials on their way to Candlestick Park for San Francisco 49’er games. The walls of the deli are covered with San Francisco sports memorabilia that harken back to the glory days of Montana-to-Rice. While Piccolo Pete reports a slight uptick since the Giants improbable World Series Championship run, he maintains 49’er Sundays are his busiest days, describing them as, “airport busy.” But it’s not just sports fans who flock to the deli on their way to Candlestick Park, Piccolo Pete draws a lot of customers from the Mission and Sunset Districts as well as Brisbane and Daly City. Nonetheless most patrons are local, like Piccolo Pete himself who has lived above deli with his wife at 2155 Bayshore Boulevard since it opened 23 years ago.

So where does Piccolo Pete go when he wants to get a bite to eat in the neighborhood? Usually El Buen Sabor on Leland Ave. or the 7 Mile House down Bayshore Blvd., he also is a regular shopper at La Loma Produce Market. Piccolo Pete was thrilled when the San Francisco Sewing & Quilting Collaborative opened up their consignment boutique and classroom next door at 2189 Bayshore Blvd. and maintains a strong relationship with owner Linda Hannawalt. She even lent him her inflatable skeleton for a Halloween promotion. It’s this kind of merchant cooperation and teamwork that indicates the future is bright for small business along Bayshore Blvd. in Visitacion Valley.