Late last year, vegan trailblazer Shannon Martinez moved her beloved Smith & Deli from its original home on Moor Street in Fitzroy to Cambridge Street in Collingwood.

But Melbourne sandwich royalty has swooped in to continue the site’s deli legacy.

At the end of November, Hector’s Deli – now with locations in Richmond and South Melbourne – is moving in to the backstreet spot.

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“It’s fucking exciting,” Hector’s co-owner Dom Wilton tells Broadsheet. “Shannon’s a friend … and when I thought about opening Hector’s on the north side, I always said I wanted something exactly like Smith & Deli. I didn’t want it to be right on a main street, it had to be character-filled [and] with a pre-existing sense of community.”

He’s got his wish. And while the plan was to preserve the red-brick exterior, leading local interior-design firm Hecker Guthrie has completely gutted, and reimagined, the interior.

Menu-wise, in an ode to the building’s plant-based history, Wilton says there’ll be a couple of vegan options.

Hector’s Deli is opening at 111 Moor Street, Fitzroy on Wednesday November 23.

hectorsdeli.com.au
@hectors_deli

This article was updated on November 21 to reflect the new opening date.