Christchurch welcomes another New York deli

Cantabrians can look forward to more New York style sandwiches and bagels as a third New York Deli opens in Christchurch. The successful deli chain’s latest location is at the new BNZ Centre.

Despite taking its name from The Big Apple, New York Deli’s true home is Christchurch. Having first opened there in 2003, the company’s growth was stalled by the 2011 earthquakes. Since then, it has been focused on getting back to serving its famous sandwiches in its award winning delis.

“I decided to open a store after trying a sandwich at a New York Deli,” says William Zou, owner of New York Deli, BNZ Centre. “I’m excited to start serving people. I think it’s going to be great for the CBD, you can’t find sandwiches like ours.”

New York Deli’s sandwiches are known as Hero’s – so named because apparently you have to be a hero to finish one. They have a distinct American influence, with customers able to choose options like the NYD Cheesesteak or Harlem Flank amongst many others. “My favourite is the New York Pork, with standard sauces and salads, it’s one you must try,” says William Zou.

On top of the food, diners can look forward to getting a little feeling of New York in store. “We’ve tried to theme everything to give you that experience,” says Mike Parkinson, Director of New York Deli. “The décor, imagery of the New York skyline, music playlist featuring Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, it’s a different experience to anything else out there.”

It’s a design that has proved successful so far. Their Bush Inn store won the ADNZ Resene Colour in Design award for 2016 Canterbury/Westland.

With more locations planned, Mike hopes to see New York Deli flourish in regenerating Christchurch and beyond. “We’re looking at all the major centres. We think it’s something Kiwis are really going to love. We want to feed people well, and give them a taste of something that’s a bit different to anything else out there. Both in terms of the food and the atmosphere we provide.”

New York Deli has three locations across Christchurch with a plans underway to open its next deli in Queenstown. For more information on New York Deli, including a full list of stores and nutritional information, visit www.newyorkdeli.co.nz