The Trials and Tribulations of Opening a Deli: A Profile of Liz Pedone Driving on Interstate 78 can be a hassle; between all the traffic going to New York City and cars not using their turn signals, it will be easy to miss the highway exit for the quaint town of Emmaus. Emmaus prides itself with its tight-knit community, and welcomes everything, including small businesses. One of these small businesses just opened in Emmaus’ town square; Pedone’s Deli. The owner of the deli is fifty-three year old Liz Pedone, originally from the middle of Long Island. The vibrant white and red tiled walls contrasted with what goes on behind the counter. A transparent wall separates the customer from the employees. Behind the wall is the prep area, where
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“It’s taken us five years to find a suitable location.” states Pedone. “There are many factors that come to opening a small business: demographics, crime rates, etc. It’s a lot more complicated than it looks.”
Liz Pedone now devotes almost all of her time to make sure that her deli is a success story. There is already of sense of experience and poise when Liz and the other employees are working behind the counter. Although the deli has only been open for a couple of months, there is already a sense of efficiency, even during a slow Saturday morning. This is exactly what Pedone wanted when she first opened up her deli, however, it has been a tumultuous process.
“In the beginning, it was total chaos. There were five people behind the counter, they had no idea on what they were doing, and everybody was bumping into each other. Now we have it organized, where one person runs the register, there’s a grill guy and a slicing girl, and a finishing person for the sandwiches.”
The five employees usually work during the afternoon, but that doesn’t mean that the deli slows down. In fact, the business day starts very early in the morning. The Pedones wake up at four in the morning every day (except for Sundays, where the deli is closed), work at the deli almost all day, and then commute back
“It’s taken us five years to find a suitable location.” states Pedone. “There are many factors that come to opening a small business: demographics, crime rates, etc. It’s a lot more complicated than it looks.”
Liz Pedone now devotes almost all of her time to make sure that her deli is a success story. There is already of sense of experience and poise when Liz and the other employees are working behind the counter. Although the deli has only been open for a couple of months, there is already a sense of efficiency, even during a slow Saturday morning. This is exactly what Pedone wanted when she first opened up her deli, however, it has been a tumultuous process.
“In the beginning, it was total chaos. There were five people behind the counter, they had no idea on what they were doing, and everybody was bumping into each other. Now we have it organized, where one person runs the register, there’s a grill guy and a slicing girl, and a finishing person for the sandwiches.”
The five employees usually work during the afternoon, but that doesn’t mean that the deli slows down. In fact, the business day starts very early in the morning. The Pedones wake up at four in the morning every day (except for Sundays, where the deli is closed), work at the deli almost all day, and then commute back