O’Connell’s Grocery adds deli for downtown clientele

The couple will open a deli in October at the 212 W. McDaniel store.

The O’Connells, who bought their meat slicer and erected deli walls when they first opened in June 2003, also plan to add an automated teller machine to their 1,600-square-foot store.

Donna O’Connell, who said the store took a $34,000 loss in 2004 but reached the break-even point this summer, said she and her husband decided not to open the deli originally to avoid competition with the former Parrino's Deli located down the block. St. Michael’s Sports Bar & Grille now operates at the 301 South Ave. building.

“We knew when we opened it was going to be a few years before there would be enough people living downtown to support us,” she said, “but we wanted to get in before all the properties were gone.”

For the full story from the Sept. 26 issue of SBJ, click here.