The Return of Petey‘s Deli

Aug. 30, 2006

Harbor Springs residents have been keeping an eye on the ever-morphing deli in Fairview Plaza for quite some time now. From Deleckee’s to Harborside Deli to Petey’s Deli and back to Harborside Deli again, the business couldn’t seem to settle into its calling. But perhaps it has now, with the return of Petey’s Deli and the commitment of the deli’s new owners.
The deli was most recently owned by Eric Young, who also runs the wildly popular Harborside Deli just outside of Bay Harbor.
Young, who initially purchased the deli primarily as an investment property, was in negotiations with Laura and David Merrill, when the Merrill’s plans fell through. Young took the deli back for all practical purposes, but even though he’s known around the area as quite the accomplished businessman, the two locales in Bay Harbor and Harbor Springs -- 12 miles apart through summertime tourist traffic- - were a bit much for one man to run. Luckily, the Merrills overcame a few obstacles, and, along with the help of Young, Petey’s Deli was back in business a few months later.
Now, the deli is “going to stay open!” as new co-owner Laura Merrill emphasizes. She now co-owns the deli with her husband, David, and is keeping the deli all in the family, with the staff including her mother, Linda Coors, and nieces Mandy Coors and Debbie Coors.
Fully stocked and with plans to stay open six days a week, Petey’s Deli now has a smaller, more down-home menu than its previous incarnation. Patrons will find the offerings quite a bit different but no less appetizing in their own way.
The new focus is on homestyle foods - primarily burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs - that range from their Bacon and Cheddar Burger to their Pizza Burger, their Chili Dog to the “Build-Your-Own” Hot Dog, and the West Coast Sandwich (with turkey, bacon, avocado, provolone cheese, mayo, and honey mustard) to the Meatball Sandwich with your choice of BBQ or marinara sauce.
Making it especially easy to pick up a quick lunch, all of the sandwiches, dogs, and burgers are served with chips, pop, a pickle, and tax all included in the prices, which range from $3 for the “Build-Your-Own” Hot Dog up to $7 for some of the more complex sandwiches.
Also on the menu are half a dozen salads, including a Mexican “South of the Border” Salad, a Chicken Caesar, and a Chef Salad, and even a few pizza options that will be sold either as entire pizzas or by the slice.
Petey’s has also started a hot foods bar that will run every day in the summer from 4 to 7 p.m., and will be available for lunch in the winter, with more soups being added in the colder months.
“Our hot foods bar will let you get a variety of hot foods for here or to go,” Merrill explains, “but it won’t be the same thing every day - it will be something different daily. These will be down home deli foods that customers will be able to get for $4.99 a pound, whether it’s roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, beef stroganoff, or something even more different, like the Mexican Night we’re having tonight.”
Petey’s is in the process of changing the decor of the deli, too. “We’re planning to add some more sitting areas - we’ve already added a big area for the kids, so they can sit and eat and play - and I’m adding some ‘50s style decorations to the walls. So those kinds of changes will be happening a little bit at a time.” In the meantime, customers can count on Petey’s for basic, hearty foods - especially good for those on a budget. “We want the locals to be comfortable,” Merrill says, “so we are trying to offer good food at cheap prices.”

Petey’s Deli is located in the Fairview Plaza across from Meyer Hardware, 231-242-0000. Hours are M-F 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Closed Sundays.