In May, Bellingham staple Old World Deli re-opened its doors after a month-long renovation. While it may be the same business inside the same building, Owner Chris Adams is determined to bring a new, more refined approach to the shop. After visiting delis across New York, Los Angeles, and even Japan, he decided it was time to make some changes.
“After seeing all that, I was kind of like, ‘You know what? We need to move this deli forward,’” says Adams. “It’s been 18 years, and honestly, you either refresh in these environments or you can fall away by the wayside.”
Photograph courtesy of Jesse Dooghan
And refresh he did. By changing the layout of the deli’s counter, Adams finds that customers now have a much easier time ordering and receiving their food. He also chose to give the product shelves a much-needed upgrade, swapping out the metal metro racks for wooden shelving.
While the deli has seen many changes over the past few months, Adams’s and the staff’s passion for the business has stayed the same. To keep at the top of their game, they are constantly brainstorming new products to feature and new sandwiches to make.
Photograph courtesy of Jesse Dooghan
“[The specials are] kind of an evolving thing between staff and what different people come up with and what different people like,” says Adams. “Everybody kind of plays with it and does different things.”
And, according to Adams, the rotating sandwiches are consistently their best-sellers. To check out the specials and the rest of Old World’s menu, visit their website. 1228 N. State St., Bellingham, 360.738.2090, oldworldbellingham.com
