'A good problem': Maven's Delicatessen regroups, adds staff as popularity leads to pause

A week after opening its doors as the newest Jewish deli in Rhode Island, Maven's Delicatessen in Pawtucket took a three-day pause to regroup. It might sound trite to say Maven's was a victim of its success, but that is exactly what happened.

Owner Jason Sugarman warmly recalled the long-gone delis of his youth. He wasn't alone. From the moment in January when he announced Maven's would open, anticipation only grew. The concept of bagels and white fish and corned beef so resonated with people, that their mouths watered with longing.

When they all showed up, starting with 50 people in line before opening on Sunday, Dec. 3, it was just the beginning, Sugarman said. "The lines got bigger the next day and the next."

"There's always a lull at a restaurant, a time you can catch up," he said. "We never had that lull, we couldn't develop a rhythm."

Mavens got slammed, restaurant lingo for overwhelmed, in an epic way.

"We got hit hard," he observed. "People wanted to be there from the first day."

It was beyond the busy and hectic atmosphere that a new restaurant might expect, he said. He called it more of "a happening."

"It’s a good problem," Sugarman added. "If no one was interested, I’d be really depressed."

He's reopening Wednesday, Dec. 13, though he's not sure about the hours which he'll post on social media.

Sugarman is wiser about the demand, pledging "We are going to get this down."

Sugarman hired seven additional cooks to ramp up production of all the whitefish, corned beef and pastrami. Everything is cured, smoked and made in-house and hand-cut. That takes time.

"We don't open a package of corned beef to make a sandwich," he explained. What's got cured and ready in the kitchen is all there is for any one day. There wasn't enough for the crowds.

All the problems with service the first week were related to shortages and sell-outs of foods, he said. They simply didn't have enough for the number of diners. Things were moving so fast, that servers didn't know what was gone.

One carving station for cutting all the meats wasn't sufficient either, he said. Now he's adding more in the kitchen.

Diners want custom corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, he said. Some want leaner meat or thinner slices and all that takes time to prepare.

He's adding more staff all around, including a new manager. They are in training this week.

Sugarman also now has a handle on what's most in demand. The menu may be scaled back a bit.

White Fish Salad has been a top seller so far, greatly exceeding his expectations.

He knew the black and white cookies would be popular but they still couldn't make enough.

They sold so much Schnitzel, they are coming up with faster techniques to turn out the fried chicken breast dish.

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His biggest surprise is the popularity of The Lox BBLTA, smoked salmon, with beef bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado with lemon-caper mayo served on challah bread. It's one of the dishes from his deli-reimagined menu and it is a clear hit with his customers.

Sugarman is not immune to the service criticisms lobbed on social media during the trying first week. He is addressing them with all his new hires.

But he is comforted that without exception, diners raved about the food. His homemade dishes take more time to prepare, but their taste is what he hopes will bring diners back even as all the kinks get worked out.

Just don't ask him about catering right now. He's got to get that dining room service set first.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Maven's Delicatessen to reopen after three-day pause to add staff