Local legend Antonio Modica and his loyal customers at Metquarter are set to move to a new home, taking over a new unit in the centre with a beautiful renovation containing nods to Antonio’s Italian roots.  Dantonio’s has been situated within Metquarter since 2011 and so the move to a newly renovated space signifies an exciting new development for Antonio and his locally loved business.

Set to open on the 1 December, customers can visit and enjoy a cup of Antonio’s renowned Italian coffee as well as a selection of sweet treats and delicious toasted sandwiches. The new Dantonio’s will allow locals to have a little slice of Italy within the heart of Liverpool after a busy day of shopping or to catch up with friends.

After COVID, and being forced to close his business down, Antonio struggled to keep up with the larger coffee chains and was grateful for his loyal customers who would consistently come back and support his business, customers that Antonio now considers as family.

Antonio was also supported by fellow local business owner Sugar Smith, who posted on her social media for her followers to support Antonio’s business during the time after COVID, when the business was quiet. Her post went viral and gained over 5,000 shares and hundreds of comments and likes from those in the local community wanting to support Antonio’s business.

Speaking on the new store opening for Dantonio’s, Sugar Smith said:

“I’m super excited to see the growth of Antonio’s coffee stand moving to a shop within Metquarter – this couldn’t have happened to a nicer man. I can’t believe from our first meeting that he would go viral and gain so much support from all over Liverpool. He really does make the best coffee! Most importantly though, I can now call him my friend – well done Antonio.”

Amongst the local support after Sugar Smith’s post was influencer Iwan Steffan, who posted a video to his Tik-Tok of him visiting Antonio’s coffee shop that went viral with over 290,000 views and thousands of likes and comments in support of Antonio’s independent coffee shop.

Iwan said on the opening of the new store:

“I am thrilled to see Antonio finally getting his own store in the gorgeous Metquarter – and where better fitting than the old Costa shop! I absolutely love seeing small businesses thrive and I think this will be a great business move for Antonio. I’ll be visiting myself to make some content of the new shop opening. Antonio makes the absolute best coffee in Liverpool!”

Antonio Modica, owner of Dantonio’s said on his new shop opening:

“I am so happy to finally be able to open the doors to my new coffee shop. The team at Metquarter along with my loyal regular customers have supported me so much and it is great to see this pay off with the opening of my new shop. My customers are truly like family to me, so I am so glad to be able to offer them a new venue to relax and catch up with friends.”

Jennina O’Neill, Centre Manager at Metquarter said on the new coffee shop opening:

“Myself and the whole Metquarter team are so happy we are able to support Antonio’s business growth with the move to a standalone shop. Antonio really does have such a loyal customer base, and it is brilliant to see how they have supported him, allowing the business to take its next step and bring a slice of Italy into Metquarter. He really does supply the best coffee in the city, and we are excited to see where this next chapter takes him.”

Dantonio’s will open 8AM-6PM Monday to Saturday and 9:30AM-5:00PM on Sunday within Metquarter, located on the lower level of the shopping mall.