New York City has hundreds of delis to choose from, but a new one, Datz Deli, is causing so much of a frenzy that it’s estimated to have raked in $1.2 million in its first year of business.
Joshua Dat crafted the culinary vision behind the Queen’s eatery, according to Black Business. He wanted to provide his community with flavorful Carribean-inspired patties with a unique flair since he is of Guyanese heritage, so he took $70,000 of his own money and invested in a brick-and-mortar location at 190-01 Hollis Avenue, Queens, NY 11423. After the doors of the food shop opened, word quickly began to spread about his one-of-a-kind patties and other traditional foods from his native land.
“I wanted to be different,” he told CNBC. “I wanted to give people something new to try.”
The menu Dats created doesn’t lack when it comes to options as his storefront food stop offers 11 patties ranging from $9 to $14.50. The most beloved one is the DatMacPatty, which is similar to a Jamaican beef patty; it’s filled with Carribean-style seasoned beef, macaroni and cheese and other ingredients. Some other patties offered are the Oxtail DatMacPatty, Chicken Curry DatMacPatty and Jerk DatMacPatty. Customers can also try other plates like goat curry and BBQ chicken, plus an array of sides, including fried plantains, jalapeno poppers and mozzarella sticks.
In addition to New Yorker becoming a staple in his community, and his growing social media following reaching 86,700 followers in a short amount of time, the entrepreneur has gained national traction as well. He was also recently recognized by Kelly Clarkson, who invited him to her self-titled daytime TV show for a cooking segment.
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Dats has always been proud of his family’s cooking and wanted them to be included in his business venture, so he hired his parents, siblings, uncle, nephew and closest friends. He’s added more to his employee roster since he opened up a second location at 69 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002 due to the nonstop support, which is unusual for a food business that’s only been open for a year.
The proud businessman is happy that he was able to change the trajectory of not only his life but his relatives as well because they’ve always been goal-driven people.
“We’ve always been hard-working people,” he said per Black Business. “It’s all just such a humbling experience and such a blessing. I’m so grateful for everything happening.”
