Hustle comes from within, according to Colby Clark, who applies that work ethic to his business, Waverly Deli & Fresh Food.
Located at 705 Clinton St. in Waverly Twp., the deli offers a variety of soups, sandwiches and salads plus a “sandwich of the day” that all use the freshest ingredients possible.
“When specialty foods or our lunch specials come into play, that is where I like to be creative and have fun,” Clark said.
Chef’s Table spoke to Clark about the deli, which opened in May 2018.
Thanksgiving sandwich
Q: What is the history of the restaurant?
A: From my understanding, the deli dates back some 40 years ago. In its inception, it was a butcher shop that supplied the Waverly community in the late 1800s.
Q: What type offood do you serve?
A: Our deli serves all homemade salads, sandwiches and specialty foods using only the freshest ingredients. Our goal is to serve our customers a quality house-made meal with a friendly atmosphere. Our bread is delivered daily from New Jersey to ensure freshness. Bread is the most important component.
Q: What’s your specialty?
A: Each day, we feature a “sandwich of the day” or a special sandwich that usually isn’t a menu item. These sandwiches include a Cubano sandwich; Pulled Porks Tacos with bacon jam, hand-cut coleslaw and sriracha; Balsamic Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast with ham capicola, provolone, roasted red peppers and fresh basil; Eggplant Parmesan; grilled chicken with vodka sauce, melted provolone and roasted red peppers; Italian Antipasto; Caprese Salads; oven-roasted turkey with bacon, lettuce, tomato and sweet basil mayo; cheesesteaks and slow-roasted pulled pork, provolone, roasted reds and sauteed spinach.
Q: How did your menu come to be?
A: By keeping the feel of a traditional deli, I combine everyday deli items and mix and match different ingredients that I feel customers would like. Sometimes simple is best and to your customers is what matters the most.
Q: What are your most popular dishes and drinks?
A: Italian, turkey, London Broil, Meatball Parmesan, breaded chicken cutlets, all four of our chicken salads, tuna salad and quinoa salads. We all have all of your classic drink selections, but the most popular drinks would be our coffee from Electric City Roasting Co., CBD juice from Purple Pepper Deli and the classic Coca-Cola.
Q: What type of seating do you have?
A: We have 22 seats inside and 12 seats outside.
Q: What kinds of entertainment do you offer?
A: We do not have entertainment; however, Pandora is always playing. We are looking into musical entertainment on the porch this summer.
Q: Do you offer catering, event space, etc.?
A: Yes; both offsite and onsite catering is available.
Q: Where do you see the restaurant headed?
A: I’d like to keep growing my business each year by introducing either new menu or catering items, retail sales or services. You never want to make your customer or employees bored, so keeping it alive and vibrant is a driving force each and every day. I never want to sit back and miss something. Your hustle comes from within.
Q: Do you offer takeout, delivery or curbside pickup?
A: Currently with the pandemic in our country, we are offering curbside pickup and delivery. Our normal day-to-day operations include pickup only. However, delivery and online ordering is in our near future.
Waverly Deli & Fresh Food
Address: 705 Clinton St., Waverly Twp.
Phone: 570-586-6755
Established: 2018
Owner: Colby Clark
Cuisine: American
Normal hours: Mondays through Fridays, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Online: Visit the restaurant’s Instagram and Facebook pages.
Editor’s note: As of press time, the restaurant was offering delivery and curbside pickup.
Laura Rysz is the features copy editor and calendar editor at The Times-Tribune and runs the Talk of the Times column, which focuses on local fundraisers and other events. She also writes Chef’s Table that profiles restaurants around the region. Additionally, Laura curates events online on AccessNEPA.com. Laura is involved in the special Mother’s Day edition and curates occasional features Marry Memories and Times Travelers. She is a graduate of Haddonfield Memorial High School, New Jersey, and earned an English professional writing degree with a minor in mass communications from King’s College, Wilkes-Barre. She also earned a certificate in Social Media Marketing from Rutgers Business School. Contact: lrysz@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5228.
