‘It’s amazing to be in business this long’: Something Else Deli has been in the family for decades

Some sandwiches stand the test of time and so do the restaurants that serve them. That’s true of the Triple Treat and Something Else Deli.

The top-selling Triple Treat, loaded with ham, turkey, roast beef and three types of cheese, has been on the menu at Something Else Deli since it opened 47 years ago.

Jim and Theresa Curran launched the restaurant at Shadle Center in 1978. Jim died in 2023, but his daughter Galen Soucy and his son Jimmy Curran operate the deli at its current location on South Sherman Street.

“Dad worked for Taco Time, and when they wanted to move him to Alaska, he decided to open his own restaurant,” Soucy recalled.

He found a spot at Shadle Center, then a bustling shopping mecca. The former occupant of the site was an eatery called “Pit and Dog.”

“My aunt asked Dad, ‘What are you going to name it?’” Soucy said. “Dad said, ‘Something else!’”

And Something Else Deli was born.

Soucy was 6 and said every Sunday, her mom dressed her up and took her to the deli.

“I worked the cash register and carried trays.”

Likewise, her brother started working at 6.

“I took orders,” he said. “I loved being onstage in front of the customers.”

Soucy grinned.

“He was the comic relief.”

In 1980, the restaurant relocated to 13th Avenue and Grand Boulevard, where they stayed before moving shop to Sherman Street in 1987.

Except for a brief pause during high school when she worked at Rosauers, the family business is all Saucy has known. Her sister, Erin, worked beside her for many years.

Curran took a longer pause when he lived in Seattle for 20 years.

“When I came home, it was literally the same,” he said. “We have customers from Shadle who still come in and so do former employees.”

COVID winnowed their workforce to four family members. In addition to Soucy and Curran, their uncle Kelly Curran comes in and does prep and dishes, and their mom Theresa is still working.

Every day, she bakes a selection of treats. Her ginger creams and butterscotch brownies are legendary, as is her carrot cake.

“It earned $2,000 at a school auction,” said Saucy.

Theresa Curran also handles deliveries to local businesses. She expressed pride in her kids.

“They are so competent in what they do,” she said. “I love it.”

Bread purchased locally from Alpine Bakery provides the foundation for a selection of sandwiches, but everything else is made in-house.

Soucy makes the soups from scratch with the exception of the clam chowder.

“The soups are my recipes except for the chili – that’s my dad’s recipe. The salads are Mom’s recipes.”

The Santa Fe salad with crisp romaine, sliced chicken, tomatoes, corn chips and spicy ranch dressing is always popular.

While most of the menu remains unchanged since the restaurant’s founding, each week a newer offering gets to shine.

“Galen and I take turns with the Special of the Week,” said Curran. “That’s where we get to be creative.”

The hours at the deli are compatible with family life.

“We’re open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.,” he said. “No weekends, ’cause our dad used to make us work weekends.”

Soucy’s sons, 17 and 14, occasionally work with her.

“They grew up here,” she said. “I brought them in when they were tiny. I had customers who held them while I worked.”

Her younger son has a culinary bent and has lots of ideas. Will Something Else Deli be here if they decide to step in?

“At 50 years, we will sit and have a conversation,” Curran said.

For now, they find joy in their work and their cadre of loyal customers.

“It’s amazing to be in business this long,” Soucy said. “I love our customers – so many I know by name! I want to make sure everyone leaves here happy.”

Contact Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com.