Can new concept earn the bread for Wolfie's at University Town Center?

One aspect of today's society figures to be very much in the favor of the Wolfie's Hand Cut that plans a late November or early December opening in The Shoppes at University Town Center.

"Today's generation needs to take a picture of their food," said Jason Starkman, the director of operations for The Original Wolfie's and Rascal House.

Every sandwich made at Wolfie's will be piled high with the most choice, fresh-cut meat. Standing inside the Original Wolfie's Bakery and Take-away on Paylor Lane in Lakewood Ranch, Starkman instructed his employee, Tim McCann, to build a pastrami sandwich for a visitor.

McCann put the meat on the slicer and cut, and cut, and cut.

He eventually finished the tower of goodness, and handed over the sandwich.

How could you not take a photo? You would need proof you could work your mouth around the sandwich for a bite.

Photo by Jay Heater

And such a sight is the main reason Sarasota's Starkman remains in the business.

Creating such sandwiches is a mostly lost art in today's world of delis, or so Starkman believes. He has a wealth of history behind his side of the argument.

Starkman is the son of the late Isaac Starkman, who launched Jerry's Famous Deli in 1978 in Studio City, California with partner Jerry Seidman. For many years, Jerry's Famous Deli was the darling of Los Angeles-area restaurants, drawing celebrities such as Shaquille O'Neal, Will Smith, Adam Sandler, Ernie Banks and a host of others to restaurants in Studio City, Encino, Marina del Rey, Westwood Village, Costa Mesa, Woodland Hills and Beverly Hills.

Meanwhile, restaurateur Wilfred "Wolfie" Cohen had been established for years on the East Coast, with the first deli in his chain opening in Miami in 1947. Much like Jerry's Famous Deli, it built its reputation on overstuffed sandwiches, choice meats, and an abundance of deli offerings.

Wolfie Cohen died in 1986, and his chain eventually was purchased by the Starkman family in 1996. Meanwhile, the Jerry's Famous Deli locations closed over the years with the last shutting down in 2020. Isaac Starkman died in 2008.

Jason Starkman considers the Jerry's Famous Deli and Wolfie's brand of delis to be an almost impossible concept to maintain in today's world. 

"We're selling the same quality meats as an Ocean Prime (and upscale seafood and steakhouse chain)," Starkman said. "Their rates for labor are the same as a deli. I have to be able to charge you $15 (for a sandwich). And I don't want to get to the point where I am reducing my quality. Then I would be done."

Photo by Jay Heater

The Original Wolfie's and Rascal House closed its Sarasota location at 1420 Blvd. of the Arts on July 3. It had opened in 2023 to extremely long lines.

"At the end of the day, the seasonality was too hard to handle," Starkman said. "And those hurricanes (in 2024) didn't help. A lot of restaurants went out of business."

He also said the Rosemary District didn't take off to the level he expected.

Perhaps more than anything, he said the idea to host patrons in a restaurant staffed with servers and operating a full kitchen made it financially impractical for a deli. The overhead was making it impossible to serve the typical deli fare without charging steakhouse prices.

Therefore, The Original Wolfie's and Rascal House owner Jonathan Mitchell and Starkman decided upon a new concept for University Town Center.

They are trying a concept where they cut back on the number of employees needed while utilizing a format similar to what a Chipotle Mexican Grill has made familiar, somewhat of an assembly line process. He estimates about five employees will be needed to take orders, build sandwiches and check out patrons, who then will have 24 to 28 seats inside and the same number outside from which to choose.

Photo by Jay Heater

Wolfie's will have cases that will include classic deli items such as matzo ball soup, knishes, and potato pancakes. Those favorites will be made each day at the Paylor location and delivered to UTC, along with all the breads.

Starkman said they are doing whatever they can to make the deli concept survive.

"The delis that you do see open aren't lasting very long," he said. "That model doesn't work anymore. It just doesn't equate to the meat I am serving. Today, they cover up (inferior meat) with seasonings and sauces.

Photo by Jay Heater

"In order to survive, you can't have a full operation. You have to concentrate just on what you are selling. My father always said, 'If you buy the best product, even the worst cook can't screw it up.'" 

At the new, fast-casual, UTC restaurant, which will offer beer and wine, he said his customers will love that they can order fresh, hand-carved turkey.

"I was a long-suffering Miami Dolphins fan," said Starkman, who moved to Miami in 1995. "But I never gave up my (season) seats because I could get a hot turkey sandwich at the game. At Wolfie's Hand Cut, I can deliver fresh, hand-carved turkey. I don't believe anyone matches our quality."

He expects both the Lakewood Ranch Bakery and Take-away along with the new Wolfie's Hand Cut to be successful.

"Lakewood Ranch is a whole other area," he said. "It is less seasonal. If this works, we will open again in Sarasota. I am going to provide you with something you can't get somewhere else.

"I truly believe that this is the only direction."