Since its opening on Wednesday, Jewish deli Maven\u2019s Jr. has been brimming with customers. The Thayer Street restaurant, which describes itself as a \u201cmodern traditional Jewish deli,\u201d features a wide array of options, from sandwiches made with handcut meat to potato latkes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maven\u2019s Deli, which opened its first location in Pawtucket in 2023, makes \u201ceverything from scratch,\u201d according to owner and founder Jason Sugarman, including their bread. The meats used at the Thayer location are prepared and cooked on site, though it receives its stock of food from the Pawtucket deli.<\/p>\n
Sugarman said that the delis he frequented in his childhood inspired him to open a similar restaurant in Rhode Island. For the past 12 years, he\u2019s been \u201ccollecting menus (and) getting information from different owners,\u201d to develop ideas for his own deli, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to do \u2026 more classical items,\u201d Sugarman said, \u201cbut we have a few things that are twists,\u201d including the deli\u2019s Hot Maven, which is inspired by schnitzel. While the restaurant is based on the traditional Jewish delicatessen, Maven\u2019s is not certified Kosher.<\/p>\n
Opening the deli\u2019s original location in 2023 required \u201ca lot of trial and error\u201d when learning how to make classic deli dishes from scratch at a large scale, Sugarman said. \u201cNow we\u2019re just in a growth phase,\u201d he added. \u201cThis opening has gone a lot smoother.\u201d<\/p>\n
In deciding where to open their second deli, Sugarman said that he wanted the new location to be close to the original Maven\u2019s Deli, but not so close as to create competition between the two restaurants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI love Thayer Street,\u201d he said, citing the high foot traffic. Sugarman also owns the Pokeworks down the street. \u201cThis spot was picked for a reason,\u201d Sugarman said. \u201cWe want to be (on) a corner.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maven\u2019s Jr. houses an array of seating options, two arcade games and a flapboard with letters that flip every few minutes to spell out jokes. Sugarman explained that he wanted Maven\u2019s Jr. to be \u201ca cozy place\u201d to \u201ctalk to your friends and meet new people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kai Faucher \u201927, described walking down Thayer Street to get a meal after a workout when Sugarman ushered him into Maven\u2019s Jr. \u201cI got magnetized,\u201d Faucher said.<\/p>\n