Coskey clan dives into Ocean Deli venture
Mickey Coskey spent 20 years in sales, driving all hours of the day from Avalon to Philadelphia and New York servicing clients in the tech industry.
While she and her husband, Sixers Vice President Dave Coskey, who also drives each day to work in Philly, never missed any of their sons’ soccer or basketball games or parent-teacher conferences, their lives were being lived at break-neck speed.
“We have a really hectic schedule. I’ve always felt that Dave and I make it too crazy, and we’d brag about the fact that we never missed any their games or stuff,” said Mickey, “but I was getting to the point where I was driving myself crazy. Do I really need to be running to New York? I’m 44 years old and is this what I want to be doing at this point in my life? I wasn’t feeling guilty about my life, I just wanted to step back a little bit…enjoy it more.”
The Avalon couple began looking for options, something that Mickey could do and include the help of their three sons, Dave, 20, a junior at Villanova, Michael, 17, who attends Middle Township High School, and Steve, 15, who goes to St. Augustine Prep.
They looked for a takeout pizza place, something with sandwiches, maybe even an ice cream parlor.
And then came the remorse. Am I doing the right thing?
“We talked about it a lot. It would be a very different world from what I was used to,” Mickey said.
They decided to buy a business, and came very close to owning an ice cream business last year, until the deal fell through.
“Our kids were really excited about that, and when that happened, they were really disappointed,” she said. “So when this came through, they were really excited.”
They saw that the Ocean Deli, built in 1924 and opened on 33rd and Ocean as Sprowles Fish Market Market, was for sale by owners Ed and Meropi Bieker.
“I saw it in October, and by February we made settlement,” she said.
They scrubbed down and spruced up the place, added organic foods like eggs, milk, butter, yogurt, sour cream, salad dressing, and hummus, and designed a menu big enough for a full-scale restaurant.
In its opening days the past few weekends, Mickey and Dave have listened to unsolicited rave reviews. There’s an excitement in the building. Customers ask questions about the extensive menu, they talk about the outdoor seating, they see a place to call their own.
One man looks at a panini sandwich fresh off the grill and asks, “What’s that? Is that what I ordered. Wow, good choice by me.”
Another man picks up his order from Mickey, apparently not his first time in the deli. While she is making change, he says, “The soup was very good, very tasty, and the sandwich was very good too. I told my wife that if the soup and sandwiches stay this good, and the prices stay where they are, then you should do very well here.”
Everyone shares a laugh because of the man’s impeccable timing. Dave, working the grill with his sons, jokes that he called the man on his cell phone and set the whole thing up.
The man is right, however. And the calls continue throughout the day for panini sandwiches and specialty wraps and homemade soups, for breakfast sandwiches, for crab cakes and chicken tenders, for garden burgers and turkey dogs, for California burgers and chicken cheesesteaks.
It’s not surprising that the energy behind the diverse menu is Dave, whose creative mind has helped him become one of the most respected public relations and marketing people in the NBA.
“He’s the mastermind behind the food. He’s always done all the cooking in our house, and all the food shopping. Maybe we didn’t realize it but for the last 20 years our home has been his test kitchen,” Mickey said. “He really enjoys cooking. When we have company, he’s the one handling that part. His crab cakes, his roasted chicken salad, his healthy tuna salad with olive oil, secret spices, peas, carrots, black beans…his recipes for red pepper pesto and roasted peppers, they’re all his creations. And our sons are all good cooks, so I guess they all followed in their father’s footsteps.”
While Dave and the boys make sure everything tastes great, it is Mickey’s intention to make sure everything runs efficiently, and that customers are satisfied.
“My two pet peeves with some places is the quality of the food and the customer service. Well I know Dave is buying the best quality products out there, and from my 20 years in sales I know all about customer service, and we will provide great customer service. We are going to make sure everything looks great, tastes great and is great because this is our reputations on the line,” she said.
Rob Seitzinger can be e-mailed at seitz[at]catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
OCEAN DELI
33rd and Ocean
Avalon 08202
967-WAVE (9283)
ON THE MENU
Hours: 7 a.m.
to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Chef’s Favorites: Avalon Crab Soup (Maryland style, tomato base with lump crab and chunks of fresh vegetables), $3.50; Ocean Deli Crab Cake (an old family recipe using no fillers, just jumbo lump crab, spices and a creamy sauce, pan fried) as a sandwich, $6.50, or platter with fries and OD slaw, $9.95; Ocean Deli Club (their own oven roasted turkey piled high with cheese, lettuce, tomato and bacon on three slices of toasted Vermont Organic wheat bread), $6.50; Mexican Veggie Wrap (Mexican rice, black beans, red pepers and corn tossed with a blend of cheese and toasted in a warm tortilla wrap), $6.25; (The following Panini sandwiches are all served on toasted Ciabatta bread) Turkey Panini (oven roasted turkey, roasted peppers and cheese), $6; Veggie Panini (fresh, marinated vegetables with melted provolone cheese), $5.50; Ham and Brie (thinly sliced pepper ham, fresh asparagus and brie), $6.25.
What’s Unique: Box Lunch (perfect for a day at the beach or fishing, a fresh deli sandwich, chips, Tastykake, fresh fruit of the day, and a 20-ounce soft drink, boxed and ready to go), $8; Day at the Beach—Kid’s Meal (a smaller version of a deli sandwich on your choice of bread, Tastykake, fresh fruit of the day, served in a beach bucket with shovel), $7; and beach delivery, with your order delivered right to the beach.
Organic Foods: Organic milk, eggs, butter, yogurt, sour cream, hummus and salad dressings are sold in the grocery.
Capacity: Around 25 on picnic tables outside under the awning. No seating inside.
Credit and debit cards accepted.
Rob Seitzinger can be e-mailed
at seitz[at]catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by
calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
Check out his Cape Cuisine food blog