In a world where fast food often reigns supreme, it's not every day that you hear about people willing to wait nearly an hour for a sandwich.

But for one cafe, customers are doing just that, and they're saying it's worth every minute.



Caffe al Lago, a regional cafe in Gungahlin, about 20 minutes from Canberra's CBD, has become a viral sensation for its Italian-style deli sandwiches, drawing in food lovers from all over the territory.

The cafe, which only opened its doors in July, has quickly become a local institution, thanks to the passion and culinary expertise of owners Dragan Petreski and Natalija Petreska.


The story of Caffe al Lago began with a honeymoon in Italy, where Dragan and Natalija fell in love with the Tuscan cuisine they experienced in Florence.

Inspired by the flavours and traditions of Italian food, they decided to bring a slice of Italy back to Australia.

Dragan, a third-generation baker, knew that the key to replicating the authentic Italian experience lay in the bread—the unique schiacciata that has become the cornerstone of their burgeoning sandwich empire.

‘Every kind of marketing is good, especially right now with social media, but I think if you don't have the right product, it can be just a temporary hype,’ he said.



‘For us, it's been a pretty stable thing. It's really helped with our business.’

Social media has played a significant role in catapulting Caffe al Lago to fame, with foodies sharing gushing videos of their sandwich experiences online.

This digital buzz has translated into real-world queues, with customers lining up around the block and waiting times peaking at 45-50 minutes.

The demand was so high that the cafe sold out almost every day, prompting the owners to hire additional staff to keep up with the hungry crowds.



Dragan humorously compares the wait for their sandwiches to the patience people have for pizza, saying, 'If you can wait for a pizza, why shouldn't we wait for a sandwich?'

‘We have reduced the waiting time now, there were really, really long lines and between 45-50 minutes for a sandwich. Now, it's been 10 and 20 minutes.’

‘The best feedback when we opened was people coming to the kitchen and telling me, “This was worth waiting for, we are going to be back”,’ he added.

The cafe's menu is limited, featuring just six sandwich options plus a morning breakfast sandwich, with prices ranging from $16.90 to $19.90.

The sandwiches are generously sized, often shared between two people.



The couple wanted a smaller menu temporarily to focus on improving the recipes.

‘Simple is best,’ he said, ‘We want to keep it small for now.’

The busiest times at Caffe al Lago are weekends and lunchtime on weekdays, especially after the local Park Run on Saturday mornings when participants flock to the cafe for a well-earned treat.

For now, Dragan and Natalija are content with their single location, aptly named 'cafe by the lake' in Italian.

However, they're not ruling out the possibility of opening another cafe near Canberra's Lake Burley Griffin in the future.
Have you ever waited a long time for a meal that you felt was worth the wait? Or perhaps you've visited Caffe al Lago and have your own story to share? We'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!