First Look: DOM’S

Posted on 21 August, 2025

From the team behind the CHURCH Neighbourhood Goods’ café comes a new sandwich stop in an unassuming location.

Officially opening tomorrow (Friday 22 August), DOM’S is set to breathe new life into the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) and NewActon area. And it’s arrival is a timely reminder that sometimes simple is best – especially when it comes to the classics.

Unlike its big sister Church Neighbourhood Goods, DOM’S is clean-cut in its execution. Where Church was a hybrid café, bar and skate shop, DOM’S is a modern sandwich shop reminiscent of a retro 1950s Italian deli. Where Church was gritty and low-key, DOM’S is quirky without being flashy. But where the two converge is their ethos: an escape for anyone wanting to experience true Canberra hospitality.

Offering a new option for those in the NewActon area to find a quick, delicious and – most importantly – filling meal at lunchtime, owners Laurence Hughes, Brock Dunn, and Nicholas Mico originally didn’t set out to open a new café.

But after being asked by the NFSA to assess the current hospitality offering and provide a new business model for the building, the longer they spent in the cultural institution, the more it became clear: it was the perfect location to dip their toes back into the industry they love.

“There was nothing really serving this area of the city,” says Brock.

“Once we started thinking about what would suit the building and what would suit Canberra, it started to become clearer and clearer that we should do something around Dom.”

That ‘something’ became DOM’S. Named after Nick’s late father, Domenic Mico – founder of the Canberra Festival, the Blue Folk Community Arts Association at Strathairn, Tuggeranong Arts Centre, TAU Community Theatre, the Backstage Performing Arts Café, and the National Multicultural Festival – the NFSA felt like the ideal location to honour a man who served the community through the arts.

Passing away in September 2023 (one month before the trio was approached by the NFSA) Nick says they wanted to create a café that he would have loved to visit.

“I always felt like I wanted him to see what we were doing here, and further on from that, we feel like hospitality venues that have an actual idea around them, a persona or personality, always work really well,” says Nick.

“Working here, we thought he would really love to come and hang out…he used to always love sitting out in the sun with his coffee.”

Serving locally roasted coffee, pastries, and their signature sandwiches by day and transforming into an intimate wine bar by night with local wines, drinks, and charcuterie (along with some delicious pre-movie snacks), the menu at DOM’S was designed with two things in mind: convenience and taste.

Acknowledging that a lot of students and public servants work in the area – in addition to all the keen moviegoers that visit the Arc Cinema – the team says that they wanted something that would appeal to anyone, seven days a week. The answer? Sandwiches with a few side salads and some sweet treats.

Serving both fresh and toasted sandwich options, the Italian-inspired menu ranges from the Dom’s Special with mortadella, basil pesto, sliced black olives, roasted red peppers and fior di latte to the HCT – smoked traditional leg ham, tomato relish, American cheese, provolone, and chipotle mayo served on an English muffin.

For vegetarians, there’s the Salad (a sandwich with oak lettuce, shredded carrot and beetroot, cucumber, basil pesto, chickpea mix, dill pickles, and mayo), while the toasted Beef & Pickles is a play on the classic mix of pickles, beef and sauerkraut.

If you’re looking for recommendations, the fresh Hot Honey Salumi (hot sopressa, prosciutto, fermented garlic honey, fior di latte and mixed leaves) and the Tuna Melt (house tuna mix, guindilla peppers, green onion, and Swiss and American cheese) are already fast favourites. It’s also worth noting that all the toasted sandwiches can be made gluten-free.

But it’s the desserts that will have you coming back for more.

As well as stocking ButterBoy cookies, carrot cake and a house-made classic tiramisu will cure your afternoon sugar cravings, while the Italian donuts – which are made by an “old Italian man” – are a must-try.

“We thought the menu needed to be something that would suit everyone,” says Nick.

“We also wanted to keep it constricted enough that it’s concise and there’s not too much choice. What options there are are really good and solid.”

Since Church closed in 2022, Nick and Brock admit that their keenness for hospitality never left. Continuing to host Church pop-ups at various Canberra venues, they say that they want to continue to add to the local hospitality scene where they can.

DOM’S is the next step in that journey. And with no gimmicks and no fuss, while the NFSA is where you can experience the movies the way they were meant to be, DOM’S is where you can experience the return to simple food done well.

“It’s a simpler style of hospitality. It’s nothing too flash, but that’s actually what calls to us the most,” says Nick.

“It’s just enough.”

But after months of hard work, would Dom like it?

“He was one of my biggest supporters so I have no doubt that even if he didn’t like it, he would say that he loved it.”

“It’s one of those things that when people pass, the little things that you can do to hold onto memories. I think he would genuinely love it. I’m proud of it, we’re proud of it and happy to have everyone else experience it.”