File this one under “that’s so Berkeley.”

A fully vegan deli, The Butcher’s Son, opened softly this week. Co-owners and siblings Peter Fikaris and his sister Christina Stobing took over the former Greek restaurant Athineon space at 1941 University Avenue after a previous location on Solano Avenue fell through.

Just what is sold at a vegan deli, you might ask?

To start for the soft opening, they’ll be carrying vegan pastries, bagels, sandwiches, cannoli, nut-based cheeses including fresh mozzarella (which they’ve sold to The Cheeseboard Collective), and, yes, even “meat”—plant-based, of course. Made from seitan, the shop currently offers pineapple teriyaki cracked pepper turkey, roast beef, and yuba pulled pork by the pound, in addition to cheeses that include cojita, three types of feta, and a fresh mozzarella. Sandwiches include a vegan steak and cheese (pictured), fried mozzarella meatball, and pulled pork.

“The idea is to give people the stuff they had, but that they no longer have because they’re vegan,” says Stobing. It’s an opportunity for people to enjoy their childhood favorites.”

The plan is to slowly expand the shop’s offerings, especially cheese, sandwiches, and meats, and to also eventually open for Italian-style dinner service in the evenings.

As far as how they came up with the concept, you might say that Fikaris and Stobing were born into it. As kids in the late ‘90s, they helped run their father’s since closed Michael’s American Vegetarian Diner on Telegraph Avenue, one of the only vegan restaurants in the area.

The Butcher’s Son: 1941 University Avenue, Berkeley, (510) 984-0818, facebook.com/vegandelicatessen.

Hours: Thursday–Tuesday, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. weekends.