How Richmond sandwich shop Hector’s Deli is thriving despite coronavirus lockdown
Hector’s Deli in Richmond has become one of Melbourne’s most sought-after sandwich shops — but it was only ever meant to be a temporary business. Here’s how that changed.
Victoria Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
When Dom Wilton and his business partners decided to launch their own food venture, their initial aspirations were far fancier than a deli.
“My cousin, Ed Ring, wife Vanessa and myself were actually planning to open a French restaurant and found this massive art gallery space in Collingwood, which we applied to convert,” Dom, 30, said.
“The permit process took forever, so we found a space in Richmond and opened a sandwich shop off the cuff in the interim.”
From that, Hector’s Deli was born, and in the three-and-a-half years since launching, the Buckingham Street milk bar turned sandwich hotspot has gained cult status.
“It was definitely meant to be a very temporary solution. We started with five sandwiches and no expectations,” Dom said, who is also head chef.
“We were desperate to do something creative, have that human connection and become our own bosses.”
The founders and staff share a collective culinary pedigree, having worked at acclaimed Melbourne dining venues, such as Stokehouse, Attica and LB2 Speciality Coffee.
For that reason, one would assume their sandwiches would lean more towards the gourmet, but Dom said the secret to their success was far simpler.
“The thing I love about Hector’s Deli is that we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel in any kind of way,” he said.“We just stick to what’s good and what’s classic.”
Having carved out a space as one of Melbourne’s leading sandwich shops, Dom and his co-founders don’t plan to move on from Hector’s Deli — if anything, it’s something they want to expand on.
MORE NEWS
THE VICTORIAN PRODUCE THAT LOCAL CHEFS AND FOODIES LOVE
TREND-SETTING VICTORIAN MAKERS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR RADAR
BEST HAMPERS AND PLATTERS FOR YOUR LOCKDOWN PICNIC
“I’d love to see Hector’s Deli have multiple locations without compromising on our core values,” Dom said.
“If we scale it, we want to ensure we do it uncompromisingly. We want to highlight that food at an accessible price point can also be really considered, ethical and environmentally friendly.”
Like many, lockdown restrictions have affected the business, but their central location has helped.
“We got pretty lucky in the sense that we’re in a residential area of Richmond, so our local customer base hasn’t been impacted,” Dom said.
The Click for Vic campaign encourages Victorians to support local creators and producers. Download the free 24-page Click for Vic magazine to learn more about some of the state’s most innovative small businesses, as well as virtual events to look forward to and great gift ideas.