Published: October 31, 2007 02:11 pm         

It’s not just another sandwich shop

Michael’s Deli & Seafood was born in 1979 when Jerry and Andrea Saunders opened a grocery store in Waycross. Working with deli meats and cheeses sparked the couple’s interest in developing a deli-style restaurant.

Focused on offering great quality food that was affordable to all, the Saunders family realized this dream with the opening of Deli Mart in 1981. The brick oven-baked submarine sandwich was among their many menu options.

In 1983, the Saunders family relocated their Deli Mart operation within their home city of Waycross and renamed it Michael’s Deli, after one of their sons. During the years that followed, the husband and wife duo expanded the deli-style restaurant’s menu, adding favorites like hand-breaded seafood to the list of offerings.

“This gave Michael’s Deli an even larger customer base by broadening its appeal and truly becoming a restaurant that offered something for everyone,” according to the history link on the Michael’s Deli & Seafood site on the World Wide Web. “It wasn’t long before a reputation was born and Michael’s Deli became known for (its) excellent quality food, big portions and great prices.”

Testing other markets, the Saunderses opened a second Michael’s Deli location in March of 1993 in the Brunswick area. Locals, as well as Interstate 95 travelers, overwhelmingly supported the business.

The Saunders duo was excited by their seemingly overnight success with Michael’s Deli, which only fueled their desire to expand business even more. A decade-plus later, having opened themselves to the idea of franchising, the couple had witnessed the establishment of locations in Douglas, Dublin, Fitzgerald, Blackshear, Baxley, Folkston, Hinesville, Hazlehurst, Alma, Jesup and Valdosta.

Owned and operated by Craig Prince and family since 2002, Michael’s Deli opened its Valdosta spot at 1307 North Ashley Street in 1997. Petra Prince manages the restaurant, while 22-year-old Joshua Prince and 16-year-old Sarah Prince work several hours a week after school and on weekends. Craig Prince Jr., 10, and Joseph Prince, 12, help out by cleaning tables on Friday nights.

Prince described Michael’s Deli as a casual dining restaurant that serves a variety of food fast, not fast food. He said it’s the perfect place for a family with small children, a business man or woman on the run or a college student on a budget to grab a bite to eat for lunch or dinner six days a week.

The Michael’s Deli menu features a host of items — starters, seafood dinners, deli sandwiches, oven-baked submarine sandwiches, pitas, wraps, jumbo salads, desserts and kid friendly meals and more. Customers can start their meal with zany zucchini, macho mushrooms or pickles, each cut fresh in the morning and breaded and fried when ordered and finish their meal with fried brownie bites.

In between appetizers and dessert, Michael’s Deli has seafood dinners overflowing with flounder or fantail shrimp and served with hushpuppies, fries, slaw, green beans, baked beans, cheese grits, baby cakes and/or mashed potatoes with gravy, as well as hamburger steak, buffalo chicken tenders and country fried steak dinners.

Oven-baked submarine sandwiches offered at Michael’s Deli include everything from the New York (ham, turkey, salami, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise and American and provolone cheese) to the Chicken Parm (provolone cheese, marinara sauce and fried chicken breast). Deli sandwiches include the Catfish Filet, served with tartar sauce, lettuce and tomato on a steamed Kaiser roll, and the Steak Melt (Philly steak, grilled onions, American cheese, banana peppers and mayonnaise on Texas toast). There’s also camel and chicken salad pitas, buffalo shrimp wraps, steak salads, as well as a host of special light items.

“We are without a doubt the best and biggest surprise Valdosta has ever had,” Prince added. “I encourage people to pull into the parking lot, step inside and see for themselves what we’re all about. I promise they won’t be disappointed. We’ve been part of this community for 10 years, and we plan to be here for many more to come.”