If you’ve seen one deli in New York City, you might think you’ve seen them all.
They’re a staple on street corners across the five boroughs, serving up simple coffee and bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches to New Yorkers looking for a quick, affordable meal.
But at Datz Deli in Queens, customers queue for hours to get a taste of owner Joshua Dat’s classic deli offering.
The 31-year-old opened Datz Deli in December 2022 with the idea of spicing up quintessential New York staples like a Jamaican beef patty with flavors from his father’s homeland, Guyana.
“I wanted to be different,” Dat says in the latest episode of CNBC Make It’s On The Job series. “I wanted to give people something new to try.”
Datz Deli’s biggest draw is the DatMacPatty, a beef patty filled with shredded oxtail and mac and cheese.
Mickey Todiwala
Visitors to the Queens establishment line up for the DatMacPatty, a Caribbean-style beef patty filled with homemade macaroni and cheese. Other patty styles include steamed and shredded oxtail, beef curry, and jerk chicken.
Side dishes on the menu include fried plantains, jalapeno poppers, and spinach. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, Dat offers fried Oreos with a choice of caramel or chocolate topping.
The deli has developed a cult following on social media, boasting over 50,000 followers on Instagram and countless TikToks highlighting its unique offerings.
The popularity has made the family business – Dat employs his parents, siblings, uncle, nephew and a few close friends – a financial success. According to documents verified by CNBC Make It, Datz Deli grossed $300,000 in May and June and is expected to bring in $1.2 million in 2023.
“If that’s the case, I’ll have about $355,000 in taxes to pay,” Dat tells Make It. “You know what they say: more money, more problems.”
But it’s not just about profit. In addition to the $3,100 on rent, Dat spends an estimated $15,000 each month on oxtail alone. He pays himself and his brother $1,500 a week while his crew members take home between $800 and $1,000.
Datz Deli is a family business
Mickey Todiwala
Its growth has exceeded any expectations Dat had when he made his initial $70,000 investment — $60,000 to lease the property and $10,000 for seed costs and ingredients — to get the company off the ground.
But Dat and his family didn’t let the success overwhelm them.
“We’ve always been hardworking people,” he says. “It’s all such a humbling experience and a blessing. I’m so thankful for everything that happened.”
For the full story of how Dat and his family made their beef patty dreams a reality, watch the latest episode of CNBC’s Make It’s On The Job.
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