Jovick Bros. Deli opening March 1 at Westport Plaza
Owner Casey Jovick has already generated a following, with a popular line of Jovick Brothers spice blends, as well as working at some of St. Louis' most beloved delis and barbecue joints.
Courtesy Westport Plaza
Westport Plaza will soon have a new eatery: Jovick Bros. Deli is slated to open March 1 in the space previously occupied by Dino's Deli (510 Westport Plaza).
Courtesy Casey Jovick
Already, owner Casey Jovick has generated a following, with a popular line of Jovick Brothers spice blends, as well as working at some of St. Louis' most beloved delis and barbecue joints. After starting out as a union butcher, Jovick worked at Pappy’s Smokehouse and Sugarfire Smoke House before becoming pitmaster and manager at Macklind Avenue Deli. After a fire at the deli in 2018, he moved on to LeGrand’s Market. Then, in 2019, he parlayed his knowledge of spices and rubs into a new venture, Jovick Brothers Spice Blends. Along the way, he's also collaborated with other chefs and pitmasters, including Mel Meyer of Tiny Chef and Pizza Bear, as well as Jason Bockman of Strange Donuts.
Now, Jovick is stepping back into the kitchen. “I’m ready to do my own thing again,” he says. “I had a few different concepts in development, as far as menus and different cuisines, but at the end of the day, I really wanted to open a family place."
The sandwich shop will offer classic deli staples, such as French dip, homemade chicken salad, egg salad, a club, pastrami, and Reuben sandwiches. "I’ll have some special sandwiches that will showcase fun flavor profiles that I've picked up along my way,” Jovick adds. He also wants to continue collaborations: “I'm always into collaborations and having fun with food, because food is supposed to be fun."
As for dessert? “I've recruited my mom to bake cookies for me," he says. "On the menu, it will just say ‘sweets,’ a rotating variety of fresh baked goods straight out of Grandma's kitchen. I think it’s important to have a familial element to my place, because I want people to feel at home.”
The deli will have two small patio areas, where Jovick plans to host live music on Thursdays and Fridays. “I think it's only going to be wine and beer whenever we get licensed," he says. "That’s the idea for now."
In terms of hours, Jovick plans to ease in. “I'll only be open for lunch to begin with Monday through Friday," he says. "If the demand is there, we may be open on Saturday for lunch and maybe for happy hour, with a limited menu of some cool stuff—a bit of amuse-bouche, you know?”
As Jovick's learned over the years, “You have to stay relevant and visible in the blossoming St. Louis food culture—it’s all about the new. One-dimensionality doesn’t work for anything creative.”
