About Us

AUTHENTIC PHILADELPHIA Steak Sandwiches

The Philly Deli first opened their doors in August of 1979. The first store was located in Hanover Center, which is also the oldest shopping center in Wilmington. Since then, two more Philly Deli’s have been added, one at Porters Neck and one at Monkey Junction.

The Philly Deli’s most valuable asset is their staff. From an initial crew of 12, the staff has grown to 125 members. A number of these people have made a career at the Philly Deli: 23 staff members have 10-15 years service, 10 members have 20-30 years service, and 4 people have more than 30 years service.

In order to hire and retain good workers, the Philly Deli has offered a number of valuable benefits over the years, and maintains a flexible schedule for it’s employees.

Working around mother’s childcare and students’ classes has always been an important focus. About 15 years ago, health and dental benefits were added. More recently, vacation pay was added.

One thing hasn’t changed: high quality and consistency have remained a constant. The Philly Deli started out by importing all of their steak meat and hoagie rolls straight from Philadelphia. It’s a practice they maintain to this day.

The Philly Deli has seen Wilmington go through a number of growth periods, slow periods, good times and tough times. However, by operating a good workplace, keeping a solid and experienced staff and consistently offering quality food at reasonable prices, they have managed to retain the staying power that has kept them in business for 30+ years.