The Paper Bag Deli is officially a crowd with storefront No. 3 opening in Gainesville this month.  

Already “staffed-up” and “trained-up,” owner Richard Sterck said customers can expect the new and larger space at 209 NW 75th St., Ste. 30 to open before Christmas. 

“We’ve gotten lucky with the community supporting us and loving us,” he said. “I enjoy giving to people that want to give back to me.” 

When Sterck and his family moved to Gainesville over three years ago, he noticed something was missing. The college town had plenty of sandwich shop chains like Jimmy John’s and Subway, but there weren’t any local delis. 

“There wasn’t a family-owned, fun deli,” Sterck said. “I [thought] there’s a need for a quick lunch, where you get something in 10, 15 minutes and not pay an arm and a leg for it.” 

Growing up in the tri-state area near New York beach, Sterck said seeing a deli with leather-aproned butchers every five seconds was standard and cultivated his love for them. Throughout his career in corporate catering, hospitality and restaurants, the Navy veteran said he always gravitated towards “helping the deli guy out.”  

After getting rid of his catering business in 2022, Sterck decided to run with his “fun little idea to start a deli” and opened The Paper Bag Deli on Tower Road at 5750 SW 75th Ct. Ste. 20. A second location came two years later downtown at 11 SE 1st Ave.  

The Paper Bag Deli is currently open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday’s at the 750 SW 75th Ct Ste. 20 location, Monday through Thursday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the 11 SE 1 Ave location. 

Sterck said the new space opening this month also on Tower Road will likely expand its hours to 7 a.m. in order to pick up early morning breakfast customer traffic. 

Whether it’s a twist on a classic sandwich like the Tony Montana Cubano, or an original creation like the French Toastwich, everything on The Paper Bag Deli’s menu is one of Sterck’s recipes. Some incorporate movie references like the Field of Fruit Dreams salad, while others are inspired by Sterck’s family members.  

The EvDaBev Crossover is the deli’s most popular sandwich. The French Dip and Philly cheesesteak combo is named for Sterck’s son, Evan, who always ordered a French dip or Philly cheesesteak sandwich when traveling for basketball. 

The deli prepares some ingredients in-house, such as chicken, pork, bacon and sauces, and uses Boars Head meats for the rest of the cuts. 

“Growing up in the tri-state area, that’s where Boar’s Head is from so it’s a thing I always had and always loved it,” Sterck said. “Quality means it’s a little more expensive, but I think the quality speaks for itself.” 

The deli also offers a catering menu, and Sterck said he hopes with the new location to start making fresh and healthy pre-made meals with entrees and sides customers can take to-go.  

While he loves making sandwiches in the kitchen, Sterck said he hopes to grow his staff so that he can focus more on the business side of things. This vision came to a halt two years ago though when Sterck lost his “right-hand man” Dwayne Elliot. 

The deli owner met Elliot while working in the corporate world in St. Louis. The two shared a love for the Yankees, basketball and food, with Elliot spending many weekends helping Sterck at his catering business, and eventually The Paper Bag Deli.  

Sterck opened the Gainesville deli intending for Elliot to take over the first location before opening a second. But after only five months of working at Sterck’s deli, Elliot died from terminal cancer. 

“God always has a plan,” Sterck said. “We don’t know why things happen sometimes and it just took his life. But I couldn’t have done it without him, he was the light of my day. He helped me run [the deli] for a while and then when he took a turn for the bad, I had to hire other people.” 

Sterck said in a transient city like Gainesville, it’s been challenging to find employees who are dedicated to being part of the restaurant industry. But he said he’s been blessed to find a team of people who believe in The Paper Bag Deli’s vision and want to help it grow. 

“Quality has been great, customer feedback has been great,” Sterck said. “I just want to find more people and keep on growing with them. Who knows what the future holds.”