When Mike de Martino was a boy growing up on Staten Island, he would carry his Nonna’s signature sub sandwich to school one day a week. While the other kids in his class ate their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Mike was tucking into an Italian sausage and sautéed broccoli rabe dressed with roasted garlic-infused olive oil on a semolina roll.

This cherished family recipe inspired Mike’s love of sandwiches (and food). Now, as Columbia University Dining’s Executive Chef, his image brands Chef Mike’s Sub Shop, which opened in 2021 on the New York, U.S., university campus.

As part of a larger Columbia Dining initiative to diversify offerings and expand locations, Chef Mike’s Sub Shop filled the space of a former pay-per-item dining option to instead offer a specialty menu that includes an overstuffed sub, plus a side,  dessert, and drink for a single meal swipe.