Scott Fetterman’s dream of opening a deli began more than 20 years ago. It began when he was growing up in St. Louis, and at age 16, he began working at Legrand’s Market and Catering, a neighborhood grocery store with a meat market and a deli, where he got his start selling Boar’s Head meat and cheese and making sandwiches.
Now, he has achieved his vision of owning his own deli, called Fetterman’s Deli on NW Prairie View Road in Platte City, which recently opened.
He has spent 25 years in the food and beverage industry, working for retailers, distributors and manufacturers. He had a successful career, but it just wasn’t fulfilling.
“I always had this passion and desire to do a deli, but was waiting for the right time and right location to finally take the plunge and just do it,” Fetterman said.
He quit his National Sales Director job at the end of September and spent five weeks working on his business plan while entertaining job offers. On Nov. 6, he decided on the NW Prairie View Road location, and signed a lease. On Dec. 20 he opened the doors to his new business.
He, his wife, Kassie and his three sons, Nick, Will and Luke moved to Platte City in 2006.
From his teen years working at Legrand’s, he loved his deli job because it allowed him to connect with the customers, talk to them, get to know them and call them by their names.
“I felt that especially with COVID, we’ve gotten away from that, customers have become just a number and I wanted to get back to how things used to be. It was really important to me to create a sense of community. I want it to be a place friends and family can come to meet and enjoy themselves.”
Fetterman believes that Boar’s Head offers the best quality available after working for the company for six and a half years.
“Boar’s Head simply is the best quality deli meats and cheeses you can get,” Fetterman said.
Boar’s Head has provided very high quality meat since 1905.
With a wide variety of meats, cheese, breads, veggies and condiments, Fetterman said his best seller is by far the Reuben sandwich.
“I love making it and honestly could stand up there all day long making Reubens, not only because I just enjoy making them, but because of my customer’s reactions,” Fetterman said. “Every day I get customers telling me it’s the best Reuben they’ve ever had. To stand behind the counter and see a customer smiling after taking a bite of the sandwich I just made, that’s what does it for me. It’s my passion to make great food that people love. If I made Reubens everyday for the rest of my life, I’d die a happy man.”
His second most popular sandwich is the Italian, followed by the Show Me Club, Turkey Bacon, Kickin’ Chicken and Roast Beef and Cheddar.
I offer a number of signature sandwiches, including Turkey Bacon, The Butcher, The Beast, (a half pound of meat and cheese) along with the I-29. The I-29 is a 29-ounce hot Pastrami sandwich with navel-cut Pastrami (think beef bacon), Baby Swiss Cheese, Spicy Mustard on thick-cut Marble Rye. “I sell one to two a day, but so far, no one has finished it in one sitting in the restaurant,” Fetterman said.
“I also offer custom sandwiches and customers can choose whatever they want. Every other sandwich place only has one turkey or one ham to choose from. At Fetterman’s, you have seven hams and seven turkeys to choose from.” The deli offers party trays and catering services also.
Fetterman had hoped to do a soft opening, but he found it to be anything but soft.
The first day he opened, he had a line of people reaching all the way to the door, and it hasn’t stopped. “I’m humbled and appreciative of the support that this community has given me,” Fetterman said. “It’s been amazing and I’m so thankful for all my customers.”
He has plans to expand the deli’s offerings with coffee, kombucha on tap and expanded hours, but it’s been hard for him to find the time with the enthusiastic response he has received since first opening. “Thankfully, I have a great staff and recently I’ve been able focus more on growing the business, so I’m hopeful to have the other things very soon,” Fetterman said.
Being in the food industry for much of his life, he knows what’s out there and has always been very particular about what his family eats. He is not a health nut by any means, but he knows quality and is willing to pay extra for it.
The deli has been open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and until 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Fetterman will be getting Messenger coffee in by mid-February and will open at 7 a.m. By March, he will have breakfast and pastries. “As I staff up, I will be adding expanded evening hours and my goal is to be open 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. by the start of summer,” he said.
The breakfast menu will include biscuits and gravy, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, breakfast tacos, country platter bowls and something Fetterman came up with called a Hash Wrap – a bed of hash browns, with all his customers’ favorite breakfast ingredients, rolled up as a wrap.
“I also plan on offering grab-and-go meal prep kits for those on the run looking for lunch for work, or dinner for those heading home from work,” Fetterman said.
When all the new offerings are up and running he plans to have a grand opening.
He believes deli foods have always remained popular because they are healthier, while allowing people to customize their sandwiches in multiple ways.
Fetterman’s Deli is also a supporter of the Platte County R3 Treasure Chest program that helps families in the district with basic supplies and food.
“We want to do what we can to raise awareness for this great cause,” Fetterman said. “For the week of Valentine’s Day 2/13-2/18, Fetterman’s will donate 10% of all sales for the whole week to Treasure Chest. We would like to use this time and event to generate awareness for the very specific need in our community for cash donations, canned chicken and toiletries, especially feminine hygiene products. During this week, we will be taking donations at the restaurant and encourage those to also make donations directly to the Treasure Chest.”
For Fetterman, his all-time favorite meal at his deli is his Combo Reuben: a combination of a Reuben and Hot Pastrami sandwich. It has Corned Beef Brisket, Navel-Cut Pastrami, Baby Swiss Cheese, 1,000 Island Dressing, and Spicy Mustard on Thick-cut Marble Rye bread.
As far as ensuring that his deli is top-notch, his trifecta is offering the highest quality, best tasting food served by the greatest employees.