Restaurants & Bars
Schmaltz Delicatessen Aims To Move From Naperville To Lisle
After 16 years in Naperville, the delicatessen is looking to relocate to 3011 Ogden Ave. in Lisle to expand its brand.
NAPERVILLE, IL— After 16 years in Naperville, the flagship Schmaltz Delicatessen store is looking to pull up roots and relocate to Lisle.
The beloved delicatessen seeks to occupy the space at 3011 Ogden Ave. formerly filled by Chinn's 34th Street Fishery, which closed its doors March 2020.
Schmaltz's owners recently submitted an application for grant funding via Lisle's Restaurant Program and Retail Business Buildout program. Their request for $70,000 from the village's Restaurant program and $15,000 from the village's Retail Buildout program was unanimously recommended by Lisle's Economic Development Commission on Feb. 17, per village records.
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Schmaltz CEO Mark Goodman presented both requests at the village's March 1 Committee on the Whole Meeting.
A move to Chinn's former location would help Schmaltz expand its footprint, but the move comes with extra expenses because the building requires "significant upgrades" to meet health and village codes, according to village records.
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The move to a new location also brings the possibility of more menu items at Schmaltz. The restaurant hopes to expand with "an expanded traditional full-service sit down breakfast, lunch and dinner deli menu," village documents state. The new eats will include salads and vegetarian and vegan twists on the deli's popular sandwich items.
Goodman told Patch a new location would give Schmaltz the "opportunity to really grow the brand and to have a bigger kitchen to support more growth.”
Goodman said the expansion would allow for a separate retail area, in addition to quick service and full service dining.
The deli, which does all its baking in house, also hopes to add a drive-thru at the 3011 Ogden Ave. location to keep up with customer demand.
Goodman told Patch of the company's 16 years in Naperville, "We value our time in Naperville and if we did move we would still look at South Naperville as a growth opportunity in the future.”
Schmaltz Delicatessen opened an Express location in Wheaton in May 2020.
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