
Owner Trey Jordan and his father, restaurant industry veteran Don “Poppa” Jordan recently celebrated the burgeoning franchise’s 20th anniversary. The most recent addition to the Holiday Deli pantheon was opened in November of 2012 at the corner of Goodman Road and Interstate Boulevard in Southaven.
“Dad and I started the concept back in 1993,” said Trey Jordan, owner. “We have five stores in the Memphis market and one franchise location in Clinton, Mississippi.”
The father-and-son team employ more than 30 staff members at a given location and 150 at all stores combined. “The big thing is the quality and variety of our products, from egg and olive sandwiches to the Reuben – we’ve got something for everybody,” Don said.
In addition to implementing drive-through windows at its two most recent locations, the Jordans have strived to convert the dine-in area of each restaurant into an inviting and lively locale. While the store specializes in business-to-business delivery and catering, a number of locations have recently began to offer an extensive dining area, as well as a breakfast menu that includes items like The Heap – a hearty helping of potatoes, eggs and cheese that lives up to its name. The younger Jordan refers to the variety of services offered by his restaurant as “fast casual.
“We decided a few years back that everything we’d make would be fresh and homemade,” he said.
When the restaurant first opened two decades ago, Holiday Deli’s menu listed four sandwiches. Now, the restaurant offers nearly 30 different sandwiches and potentially endless combinations. Holiday Deli also includes made-from-scratch favorites like chicken salad and fresh tortilla chips to pot-roast beef, which Trey says often requires a three-day cooking endeavor. “It’s about three days from the time we start cooking to the time it gets to a customer’s mouth,” Trey said.
Holiday Deli offers a family atmosphere gleaned from years spent in the Jordan family kitchen, with a menu and décor to reflect its roots. Old black-and-white family photos of the Jordan family are gingerly hung from the walls, evoking a more down-home atmosphere than similar restaurants in the area.
Holiday Deli also offers a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner items for diners on the go, most of which cost less than $10. Among these menu items is Lene’s Light Lunch, a sandwich platter named in honor of Trey’s mother, Marlene. This dish includes a half-sandwich, chips and a pickle for $7.15. In addition, the restaurant offers a free meal for kids less than 12 years of age on Tuesdays and Thursdays with purchase of an adult entrée.
“Our goal here is to make everyone out here a raving fan,” the elder Jordan said.
“In other words, we want the experience here to be so good that our customers run out and tweet about us,” Trey added.
Casey Hilder can be reached at 662-429-6397, Ext. 247
Source: Desoto Times Tribune