Local Business: Walton Natives breathe new life into Unadilla Diner.business news

Walton native Jasin James, 44, is breathing new life into historic Unadilla landmarks.

James opened Unadilla Diner at 198 Main Street in mid-October. Previously, James ran It’s My Deli in the Sydney Center and in another location he ran Bainbridge.

James, who worked at Chobani and Amphenol Corporation many years ago, said he was keen to keep himself going after experiencing entrepreneurship.

“After closing the Bainbridge store[in late September]I needed work and didn’t want to go back to working for someone else,” he said. “I saw this listed through a real estate agent and contacted him but didn’t think I could get it. I just decided to look at it. …he called me back to see my sister (Sharin) and me.

James said the reaction since opening has been “totally crazy.”

“This is incredible compared to a deli,” he said. “We live here now. It’s been non-stop, and one of my waitresses, he used to waitress at Bob’s Diner (Bainbridge) and elsewhere, was like, ‘Oh my God, this is the end.’ I’ve never seen a place without it.”

James says customers are enjoying diner staples alongside the popular items his deli has become known for. Unadilla Diner serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, he said.

“People love ‘mothercracker,'” he said. “I just had chicken tenders and bacon and gravy with American cheese, but that carried over. One small (adjacent) room (of the diner) used to be a bakery many years ago, so we ended up doing a sub there, so we put the slicer in there. increase. “

Beyond the food, the diner also gives patrons a sense of the past, according to James.

“It’s iconic,” he said. “People, they absolutely love it. I had a boar-headed guy here…and he said, ‘Oh my god, man. I feel like I’ve stepped back in time.’ Look at this place.

“For me, it’s just food, but people say, ‘This food is good,’ and diners have a lot of history,” James continued. “The head of the Historical Society actually gave me two prints he made with a photograph of a diner in the early ’90s and an article telling all about when it was brought here and where it came from. That’s why I want to be able to do this the way it used to be, and the locals are so grateful that it’s open and someone is here. loved it, and older generations will say, ‘I remember doing it when I was a kid, and now you’re doing it’.”

According to a 2019 article in The Reporter, the main 88-seat carriage of the Unadilla Diner, a Delaware County weekly newspaper, was brought from New Jersey to Unadilla in the late 1950s after its construction in 1956. Larry Henchy until his 1980s, then Mary Green closed in his 2006. Tyler Boudreau ran the diner from October 2019 until he was forced to close due to the COIVD-19 pandemic. Boudreau leased the diner from a Philadelphia-based attorney who bought it in her 2001.

James said that while the village’s support is strong, its appeal to diners is far-reaching.

“The Bainbridge guys. It’s an honor to see them travel because we’ll see the Sydney Center guys and Walton again,” he said. “When you have a deli, you hear people say, ‘Oh my god, this is the best sub.’ Yes. Going to Townsend Street Market makes me happy and makes me feel good. “

James, who employs himself, his sister and “five others”, said he wanted more waiters. But his long-term plan is to “make everything as homemade as possible.”

“That was one of the things the owner said: ‘Anyone can build something out of a box,'” he said. “But he liked that it was all homemade, my corned beef, hash, etc. I make it from scratch. And so far, the reaction has been unreal.”

The Unadilla Diner is open Monday through Saturday and Sunday from 6 AM to 7 PM. For more information or to view the menu, search for ‘Unadilla Diner/It’s My Deli’ on Facebook or call 607-610-4004.