Update, 3/5: Red tape delays Grand Rapids opening, sinks deal in Holland

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The Skywalk Deli is back.

Owners of the popular deli that was dislodged from its home in late 2012 during renovations at the Comerica Building are opening two new locations in the coming weeks; one in downtown Grand Rapids and the other in Holland.

Deli owner Chris Fehsenfeld said the business has signed leases in the Boardwalk Condominium development at 940 Monroe Ave. NW in Grand Rapids, and the Baker Lofts development at 171 E. 24th Street in Holland.

"We're very anxious to get back into the market," said Fehsenfeld, who will formally announce the news at the Juice Ball benefit on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel. "We miss downtown terribly."

In Grand Rapids, the deli will open in the space recently vacated by Rico’s Deli/Liquid Cargo, which moved into a larger spot next door at 820 Monroe in October.

The deli menu will remain the same, Fehsenfeld said, although HVAC limitations will force them to make sandwiches on a Panini press rather than on a flat-top grill.

The name will also stay.

“Our reputation in Grand Rapids is very strong with that name and we’d be foolish to change it,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense at either location, but the customers will follow the name.”

Both locations are about 800-square-feet, he said, which is smaller than the deli's original spot inside the downtown skywalk. The old deli location has become a conference room inside the 99 Monroe building.

Fehsenfeld is targeting opening in Grand Rapids on Feb. 1, but the deli may open sooner. In Holland, the deli may open mid-February and, with a larger kitchen of the two locations, will be where they roast deli meats.

Fehsenfeld is hoping to do strong business among tenants in both developments. In addition to sandwiches, the deli will stock some grocery items like milk, eggs, cheeses and fresh produce. In Grand Rapids, there may also be take-out beer and wine, he said.

The company will continue its catering business as well, he said.

Wil Lucy, the deli manager, has been teasing fans on Facebook for several months about a new location. Since opening in 2002, the eatery built a large, loyal following on its generously portioned sandwiches and eclectic, laid-back atmosphere.

Toys and mugs brought in by customers decorated the counter at the Skywalk Deli before it was displaced in Dec. 2012. Owner Chris Fehsenfeld is reopening the deli with locations in Grand Rapids and Holland.

News that Skywalk Deli was being, essentially, forced out by new landlord Franklin Partners generated serious displeasure among deli fans. A Panera Bread franchise opened on the first floor under the old deli location in mid-2013.

The eviction came just a couple months after Skywalk Deli won the 2012 Grandwich competition with a kieibasa and queso fresco fry-wrap sandwich called the G.R.M.P. II (Grand Rapids Melting Pot II).

Fehsenfeld said several potential locations around downtown Grand Rapids fell through in the months since the deli closed. He came close to leases at the Downtown Market, the Baker Lofts project next to the market, and in the Amway-owned space across from Z’s Bar. Neither spot panned out.

Related: Customers line up for final taste of Skywalk Deli

“We’ve cried wolf several times,” Fehsenfeld said. “We were disappointed ourselves on many occasion. We actually have leases now. It’s a go.”

Fehsenfeld has walked past the deli’s old home several times, but holds no ill will toward Franklin Partners.

“Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Hopefully, this is a new and better step for us. I think they did a great job improving the building.”

Fehsenfeld hopes to retain the feel of the old location.

"We'll still be hollering out people's names and (playfully) insulting our favorite customers, he said. "We'll do the best we can to make it a warm, family atmosphere like it was downtown."

Both delis will open at 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and close around 5 or 6 p.m.

“We’re playing it by ear,” he said. “If there’s a demand for later hours, we’ll stay open.”

Garret Ellison covers business, government and breaking news for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at gellison@mlive.com or follow on Twitter & Instagram