The idea of opening up a stand-alone lunch counter in a new uptown Saint John taproom was not one that Jeremiah’s Deli owners Loretta Landry and Maggie Bryson had been contemplating, but when the opportunity arose, they took it.
“Donair dip is definitely brain food,” Landry says with a chuckle, explaining Jeremiah’s offerings at Wasted Day Brewery, which just opened at 36 Water Street.
“Thursday Trivia night is our busiest night. Before they sit down they get food and at the break, and then after as well. So when they’re actually sitting and thinking they may be nibbling on our food, it probably helps some people.”
Landry and Bryson have been the owners of Jeremiah’s since 2018 when they bought it from Graham Stilwell. The seasoned employees had already been hoping to be a part of the long-term future of the well-established business before it went up for sale.
Five years later the business is going strong.
New food
Donair dip is just one of the unique offerings at Jeremiah’s at Wasted Day. The stand-alone lunch counter in the brewery taproom is somewhat of a test kitchen for Jeremiah’s new culinary creations — but it also offers the familiar fare that makes it famous.
“Because it’s a smaller space, there’s less options than in the market. So we have some staple sandwiches that we make here and take down there, but we also have a couple of other items that we wouldn’t offer in the market “ says Bryson.
Some of those offerings include the donair dip, nacho dip, and charcuterie. But they’ve also got their eye on the hot sandwich market.
“We’re eventually going to have paninis down there. It’ll probably be our main thing. We’re excited about that because we’d love to have paninis [in the market] too but we just have too many customers” says Landry.
“We would have to get a really big panini press!”
One of Wasted Day’s big innovations in its tap room was to focus on unique, small-batch beers brewed on-site, to be released every week, rather than large amounts of the standard fare. Jeremiah’s is considering doing something similar.
“We just met with them a couple of days ago and talked about [pairing food with unique beer],” says Landry.
“It’s definitely something that would be really fun. Because there’s nothing more fun than trying new beers with new sandwiches, just being creative!”
“It’s been exceeding all of our expectations,” says Jon Chouinard co-owner of Wasted Day. “They’ve kind of got some staples but they also have a rotating menu that pairs well with the beer offerings, so there’s always something new for people to snack on.”
“It’s hard to pass up the hot pretzels, but I think lately the pizza bun’s been my go-to.”
Like a tiny home
If the sandwich counter at Wasted Day is somewhat of a test kitchen, it’s a small one. The stand-alone structure was required so that Wasted Day could serve food on-premises while still supporting a pet-friendly environment, as it does at its Long Bay Brewery in Rothesay.
“We were initially behind the bar with them. But they had to custom build that hut for us. So that was completely custom. Everything had to be miniature-sized,” says Landry.
“It’s like a tiny home inside the bar,” says Bryson. “You can probably fit two or three people in there, max.”
“Two people working, three people max standing,” Landry quips. “It’s pretty cozy, not gonna lie. But we love it.”
It’s been a significant undertaking, with a thriving business in the market, to make the jump to another location, no matter how ‘mini’ it might be. With the cruise ships back in town, and covid restrictions relaxed, Jeremiah’s is going full steam ahead.
“It’s very, very busy,” says Landry of the original location in the market. “I think it’s because we really stuck it out and worked really hard to get through COVID.”
“We were here, and we were open for people who are around town. I think that they recognized that, and they just keep coming back.”
Looking to the future, Bryson says they are doing everything they can to make their current ventures successful.
“Our plan is just to work on this plan that’s happening right now. Day by day that’s all you can do, right?”
Landry agrees.
“January and February will be a nice break. We’re looking forward to it!”
Alex Graham is a reporter with Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
