Owner Rolls Dice on New Manayunk Deli

It may seem as if Craig Dice took a big chance on opening a new deli on Main Street during the economic slowdown, but to the Conshohocken resident, it was worth the shot.

"I thought a lot about the risk involved. But at the same time, I was selling an expensive piece of medical equipment, and the economy turned," Dice said. "Hospitals weren't even letting doctors expense batteries for their pagers, so buying from me wasn't an option."

So Dice and his girlfriend, Rebecca Goldstein, gave up their sales careers and took a bet on Manayunk, new home of , 4460 Main St.

Why Manayunk?

A former resident, Dice left the city in name only. 

"I love Manayunk. I used to live here and still come all the time, now that I live in Conshohocken. We run here, we eat here, we bike here, we drink here—we do it all," he said.

Dice grew up working at his family's deli in Manasquan, NJ, and always held an interest to operate his own place. He served shoebies breakfast sandwiches at the shore town, and now similarly feeds the Main Street throng on mornings.

"This location was just sitting here. Every time I ran or rode a bike by, I would see it. No one's doing anything with the place and on this end of the block..." Dice said. "We had that one moment where it was like, 'We're still kind of young. Why don't we go for it, and see what happens?'"

Dice signed a lease at the former African art gallery in January 2011, and took his time getting the place open.

We had that one moment where it was like, "We're still kind of young. Why don't we go for it, and see what happens?"

Dice effectively redid the entire interior. He credits his contractor, Gabe O'Brien (who also redesigned The Stone Rose in Conshohocken), for the overhaul. With Goldstein, Dice operates the deli full-time. 

What to Expect

The 600-square foot deli is cozy and well lit. Two doors bookend the front window and drop down three steps to shop itself. The deli displays art from Goldstein's brother, and, of course, there's a dice set.

As a sales people, Dice and Goldstein knew the importance of reliable catering. They founded the deli with the expectation to serve business breakfasts for morning meetings. However, the presence of daily customers far exceeded their expectations.

"What we've found is, the walk-in traffic has been amazing... We already have regulars. Every Saturday around 11:30 a.m., I can tell you in five minutes, this person, this person, this person is going to walk in," Dice said.

On a given Saturday, Dice said he's selling 70 to 80 breakfast sandwiches, and hopes it goes up when the weather warms up. His salads are fresh-cut that day, and he says the Black Russian (turkey breast, pastrami and Swiss cheese, between rye bread with coleslaw and Russian dressing) is the most popular sandwich.

In recent years, the end of Main Street nearest the Green Lane Bridge hasn't shined as brightly as other sections. Dice hopes a revival occurs.

"We're trying down here. It's very vacant. Next door is empty and next to is empty. But a couple of people have been coming in and asking questions about putting stores near here," he said. 

For more information on Dice's Deli, visit 4460 Main St., or call 267-437-2461.

You can find more articles from this ongoing series, “Dispatches: The Changing American Dream” from across the country at The Huffington Post