Junior’s Deli Debuts in Burgaw

At 102 W. Freemont St. in Burgaw, just off the town square, the smell of fresh bread and slow-roasted meats drifts out the door of a brand-new deli. Inside, owner Vinny Mangual is arranging trays, checking ovens and prepping for a crowd. Just days into Junior’s Deli’s soft opening, he’s serving up what Burgaw has been craving.

“On our soft opening day, we did about 110 sandwiches,” he said with a grin. “One of the things we’re focusing on here is keeping everything as fresh and in-house as possible. So, we’re baking the focaccia, we’re baking the hero rolls, we’re making our own spreads and roasting our own roast beef. We’re roasting our own turkeys, making our own pastrami. We’re making our own corned beef.”

This attention to detail comes naturally for Mangual. In 2018, he and partner Owen De La Rosa founded Empire BBQ, an award-winning business comprised of multiple food trucks, late-night pop-ups and bar partnerships. Empire BBQ has become a go-to name in New York’s food truck and catering scene and taken the top honors for the past two years at New York City’s annual Rib King festival. But when Burgaw’s Own Your Own restaurant competition came calling in 2023, Mangual saw an opportunity to build something new.

The Own Your Own competition brought 24 finalists to Burgaw to compete for the chance to own their own restaurant in small-town North Carolina. The competition came down to a finale cook-off between Mangual and Karoline Schwartz of Colorado.

Although Schwartz was initially named the winner, she later chose not to move forward with the project. In response, competition founder Richard Johnson allocated the funds to upfit two restaurant spaces in buildings he owns – one on West Courthouse Avenue, which will become Patty’s Place, a restaurant operated by Wilmington’s Khristen Hunter, and the other now leased to Mangual for Junior’s Deli.

Mangual said that while he loves what he and De La Rosa have built in New York, living there and operating a business of that scale takes a toll. The cost of living, commutes adding hours to each day and time away from family have weighed heavily on Mangual. While he is still a partner in the business, Junior’s Deli is a solo project for him and a chance to step back a bit from the hectic life he’s been accustomed to.

“I’ve been ready to get out of New York for a while now,” Mangual said, noting that he has family in the Charlotte area.

For now, he’s starting small and working on building out the processes needed to grow.

“We’re going to be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for now, and then I think we’ll expand to Sundays, once we get a little bit of footing. It’s all about seeing what people respond to and what makes sense.”

It’s a measured approach from someone who knows what it takes to build and scale a business.

“Sometimes the only way to really work out the kinks is to just start doing it,” Mangual said. “And if something’s not working, you’ve got to be willing to pivot to the next thing.”

The Classic – Mangual’s chicken parmesan sandwich – a pan-fried chicken cutlet layered with San Marzano tomato sauce, house-made mozzarella, fresh basil and fresh-baked bread – has already become a customer favorite.

Other highlights include The Vinny Special – a stack of soppressata, prosciutto, mortadella, mozzarella and roasted red peppers on focaccia, and the 18th Ave Feast, with Italian sausage and sauteed peppers and onions on a toasted hero roll. There’s also a build-your-own hero option with a full line of Boar’s Head meats to choose from. And Mangual hints that barbecue may eventually find its way back onto the menu.

Mangual hopes to eventually offer Italian-style family dinners once or twice a week, as well as rotating specials and grab-and-go side and salad options. Chocolate chip cookies are also on the list.

“I have this amazing oven, so why not?” Mangual said.

Though he may be new to Burgaw, Mangual is settling in quickly. He jokes about raising chickens, getting used to quiet country nights (which he claims are scarier than any part of NYC) and learning to balance his life between New York and North Carolina.

“It’s going to be crazy for a while, there’s no doubt about it,” said Mangual. “But we have an amazing team in place in New York, and I’m excited to see where things go with this new brand.”

Johnson, who owns the property and funded the renovation of Junior’s Deli, said he couldn’t be happier with the response so far.

“I knew from the start when I met Vinny that we needed him here in Burgaw,” Johnson said. “He brings something completely new to this community, and he’s going to knock it out of the park.”