Local favorite Enzo’s Spuntino reopens at Mills apartments location

Enzo’s is back. 

The “classic, New York-style delicatessen” has seen a major upgrade, with renovations to its location in the Olympia Mills apartments, before reopening April 1. 

Enzo’s Spuntino serves made-from-scratch sandwiches, including everything from breakfast egg sandwiches and bagels to cold classics and hot paninis. Its mission is bringing “authentic Italian American specialties to Columbia, SC.” 

Owner Joe Cardinale managed both the Spuntino before its renovation in Olympia and the since-closed second location in Five Points. He said the renovation allows a solution to two of their main problems with the Five Points location: a lack of parking, and a lack of indoor seating. 

Now Enzo’s sports a “gigantic” parking lot, Cardinale said, that’s shared with residents of the Mills, as well as 40 indoor seats and 20 seats outside. 

Cardinale is confident that the move from Five Points won’t affect the shop’s popular reputation in the city. 

“We have a very loyal regular customer base,” Cardinale said. “Day 1, we had people coming in waiting to (get their first sandwich) here.”

Cardinale said students are probably 20% of the shop’s customer base. 

The Very Rev. Dane Boston was a frequent visitor of the Five Points location and has followed the restaurant to the Mills location. 

“I probably pass through Five Points more often than I pass this way,” Boston said. “But they’re worth the trip, so I’m happy to come over here for it. I don’t eat out for lunch a lot. But when I want something, this is a great place to be.” 

USC students were eager for the Mills location to reopen in its new incarnation, Cardinale said. 

“While we were doing the renovations here, people were constantly asking when we were going to reopen,” he said. “I think the Mills did a survey during the move-in (asking), ‘What could we do better?’ And they were like, ‘Bring back Enzo’s.’ We wanted to come back as soon as possible.”

Many students enter through Enzo’s to access the Mills apartments. 

“It’s an interesting location, I’ll say that, for it to be in an apartment” building, USC student and Mills resident Peyton Glatfelter said. 

USC student and Mills resident Ally Robins and her friend Sully Williams used to go to Enzo’s for lunch on game days before it closed. 

“So we’re used to it,” Robins said of entering through the business to get home. 

The two said the shop’s reopening will be good for the Mills. 

“There’s always people in here now,” Williams said. “It’s kind of weird seeing normal people in here, but it’s fine.”

Cardinale wanted a place for people to come in and spend their lunch hour, as opposed to heading out as soon as their order is ready. 

“We have all this awesome indoor dining,” he said. “… It’s just a lot easier to get here. … Once you find it, it’s very easy to find. We’re doing the same thing that we did in Five Points with more focus on dine-in now than take out.” 

The shop will maintain its convenient features such as self-service ordering and third-party delivery services. 

Enzo’s Spuntino is open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is closed on Sundays.