New deli coming to former Off Main site
The former home of Off Main Market & Kitchen on Osborn Avenue is getting a new tenant.
Miriam Carrera and her sisters will officially open Express Deli & Cafe in that location next Wednesday. It’s been open with limited inventory this week, serving mostly coffee and rolls.
If the Carrera name doesn’t ring a bell, this might: Ms. Carrera is the woman who owns the deli next to Town Hall.
She and her sisters bought Speeds Express Deli next to Town Hall from longtime owner Gary Shiranko about 2 1/2 years ago and are now looking to expand, she said.
The Osborn Avenue location has been vacant since Off Main closed earlier this year after only about a year in business. Before that it was home to Peconic Baking Company, which also closed, and before that, going back many years, the site was home to Goldings Hardware.
Ms. Carrera said they are opening the new site in order to offer more Hispanic food.
“We’re [Hispanic], so we like to make what we know,” said Ms. Carrera, who is originally from Guatemala.
When she took over Speeds, she added some new items to the menu and increased business by 25 percent, she said. But while they thought about adding some Hispanic dishes at Speeds, they were reluctant to change the menu too much because Speeds has many longtime customers.
“We plan to have Spanish food at the new store, but also traditional deli food as well, like we have here,” Ms. Carrera said. “It will be 50-50.”
The new store will serve tacos, burritos and empanadas, as well as the cold cuts, sandwiches and steaks found in traditional delis.
“My mom used to cook a lot,” Ms. Carrera said. “She had a restaurant in Guatemala and we helped there.”
Around 2005, she and her three sisters came to Riverhead, where their father has lived for about 20 years, she said.
They worked at Speeds for several years, and in 2010 formed their own corporation, Sisters Carrera Corp., and bought the deli from Mr. Shiranko, who had owned it for about 10 years.
Being the boss isn’t easy, Ms. Carrera said.
“To be the boss you have to work harder than your employees,” she said. “I’m here 85 hours a week, usually from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m.”
Once Express Deli & Cafe fully opens, she plans to split her time between the two businesses, each of which will have about five employees.
“I’m excited,” she said.
