Now you can pre-order Lucia’s famous ‘panini’ sandwiches for pick-up

It is one of the Adelaide CBD’s busiest lunch spots, and its dedicated following can now get their beloved sandwiches faster.

One of the Adelaide Central Market’s busiest and most popular eateries will now let guests pre-order their Italian sandwiches online.

Lucia’s Fine Foods, known for its ‘panini’ rolls, smallgoods and sauces, announced the new service on Friday and it is now available through the Bopple smartphone app.

Lucia’s has been a mainstay of the Market since 1957 and its gourmet sandwiches were rated among Adelaide’s best by The Advertiser’s food and lifestyle team.

Managing director Simon Bugeja said the restaurant sells anywhere up to 250 sandwiches a day and that the pre-order option would help minimise queues during the lunch hour.

Mr Bugeja said all sandwiches would still be made fresh to order.

Lucia's managing director Simon Bugeja at his Adelaide Central Market store. Picture: Matt Turner.

“It’s because everyone wants their sandwich at the same time, around the afternoon lunch break, so this way people can place their order in the morning and pick it up when they’re ready,” Mr Bugeja said.

“Since we started it, it was exactly what we thought was going to happen – we had people ordering six, eight, ten at a time, usually for an office, and then someone will go down and pick it up.”

He added that other options, including the venue’s enormously popular salads, would be added in due course.