Business News

Established deli finds new home

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On the border of Seaford and Massapequa is the SeaQua Deli, a longtime community eatery that serves a variety of American-style foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This establishment has been in business for 32 years and recently moved to its new location — 4250 Jerusalem Ave. — just down the street.

And while the space is bigger and better, SeaQua Deli is still offering its own special twist on sandwiches, salads and soups, as well as a variety of desserts, sides and daily specials.

“The food is always fresh and delicious,” Val Visconti said. She has been coming to the SeaQua Deli for lunch most days for at least four years. “My friends at school said the food was awesome.”

“The kids really go for our Hungryman Hero and the chicken cutlet melts,” said Pat Spates, co-owner of SeaQua.

“We get a lot of students here,” Rick Nappi, SeaQua’s other owner added. “We’re on the border, a little bit of Seaford and a little bit of Massapequa.” Students come from high schools in Seaford, Wantagh, Massapequa and Plainview.

But the deli also caters to local businessmen and residents who stop by to pick up a quick meal for breakfast or dinner, or cold cuts for the next day’s lunch.

SeaQua Deli was founded in 1973 by Spates and his father, a former Entenmanns’s driver who scouted the area and decided that the Seaford/Massapequa community was the best place for a deli. Meanwhile, Nappi who had his own deli, decided to join forces with Spates in 1992. The two partners, high school friends, pooled their resources and talents, not to mention their secret recipes, to grow the SeaQua Deli.

Today, there are 30 people working in the deli including catering partner Steve Sanchez and Lloyd Jurman, the managing chef. SeaQua deli also does a variety of hot and cold catering, and is well-known for its barbecues and Lobster Bake including lobster, clams and mussels on top of hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken.

“The workers are great and the service is excellent,” Ryan O’Shaunessey, a patron, said. “When I heard they were moving I thought, ‘Oh no, where will I go?’ But this place is perfect.”

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