NEW YORK—Wanda Kassimis always dreamed of running her own deli in New York. She would wander the streets of midtown Manhattan during her lunch breaks from her office job, looking for the ideal location. Finally, in 1993, when rent was only $4,500 a month for a small storefront, she found what would become her place.
From her office on Park Avenue to her new deli on E. 41st between Madison and Park wasn't much of a leap, but it might as well have been on the other side of the world. The Homefront Deli owner was now selling sandwiches, burgers, salads, fries, and other classic deli fare to Manhattan career men and women, instead of being one herself. Sixteen years later, as Kassimis prepares to change locations, she feels it was the right decision.
"I always wanted to have a deli," says Kassimis when asked what made her pursue the dream. "I grew up working in delis."
The first thing you notice about the Homefront Deli is the crowd lined up for a meal. The relatively small, narrow restaurant is clean, welcoming, and full of the smiling faces of the staff. In New York—a city famous for its myriad delis on relatively every corner—friendly customer service coinciding with such brisk business is unusual.
The deli, which has its busiest times of day from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., and from 12 noon to 2 p.m., serves up especially popular lunchtime combinations of grilled chicken breast sandwiches and fries, healthy-sized sandwiches, and a generous Greek chicken salad. In fact, they serve out 180 pounds of chicken a day, two cases of tuna and turkey each, two cases of burgers, and three to four cases of lettuce and tomatoes a day.
"We have a lot of customers we've had since we opened the store," says Kassimis. "I love this place. Sometimes you have difficulty with the economy, bills, but I like the people. I was brought up to treat people well, and this is my social network."
Staff Loyal as Family
The staff of the Homefront Deli is long-term and loyal—some of them have been working at the bustling establishment since it opened. Roberto, who would only give his first name, walked into the deli fourteen years ago and has been there ever since. After so many years, he has hard-earned seniority and knows how to work every part of the food counters, from the grill to sandwiches to salads.
"She's not like a boss, she's like family," says Roberto about working for Kassimis. And as for the added customer service he and other staff provide by memorizing customers' usual meals, he claims it's easy to remember what dozens of different regulars like to eat. "I just see people's faces and remember what they like," says Roberto.
Kassimis says after almost two decades in her current location, she is ready to make a fresh start in a new location, but real estate is competitive in Manhattan. "It's been hard to find a buyer," she confesses.
Dedicated Customers
The Homefront Deli is what some might call classic Americana. In fact, stepping inside almost makes you feel like you've just walked into your aunt's kitchen. Friendly, although slightly sardonic signs hang conspicuously about the perimeter of the establishment, declaring little slices of sarcastic and entertaining folk wisdom about life. Amid the sea of signs are customers wearing business suits and patient expressions while politely crammed into two lines during the height of the lunch hour—a sure sign that the food is good and the price is right.
"Are you on the hot line or the cold line?" strangers ask each other to see if they are waiting for a cold sandwich or salad or a hot burger or chicken breast on a roll. The people further down the line can hear the crowd coming and hurry to decide what they are ordering.
Despite the tightly packed lunchtime crowd that brings to mind a typical scene in a city subway, customers at the Homefront Deli are surprisingly and consistently polite to one another. Perhaps that's because customers here come back repeatedly for the value and the high quality of the food and service, and know they won't find anything better for blocks around. They know it's worth the wait.
"I've been coming here a good eight years," said Germaine, a Manhattan investment professional whose office is nearby. "They're reasonable, the food is decent, and I never have any problems. I come anywhere between three to four times a week."
Germaine adds that she knows why when the deli is at its busiest, people continue to line up.
"If you come here at 12 noon, the line is out the door," she says. "And it's worse in the summertime, because the Greek salad is a favorite—you get a big portion for something like $5, and that's a good deal."
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