New owners of popular Hamilton deli plan to add beer, wine

Rick Sherrill purchased Brown’s Deli a year ago with several ideas in mind to improve the already popular business.

Now Sherill is making those ideas a reality, rebranding the business at 740 NW Washington Blvd. in July as Deli Creations.

He’s also expanded upon the selection, providing a wide array of Amish meats and cheeses, Smith Dairy products, bakery items, produce, snacks, Amish bulked candies, Amish jarred jams and jellies, carryout beer and wine. There’s also a selection of local homemade items ranging from honey, wine, sugar waffles and cookies, to popcorn, baked goods, and Browns Farm Market produce.

Sherrill, who moved to Ohio in 2000 with three daughters, purchased the deli in July 2017 from John Brown.

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“I was looking at several business opportunities and my wife visited Brown’s Deli as she frequently did to purchase lunch meat and prepare for our daughter’s graduation,” Sherrill said. “She called and let me know that Mr. Brown was aiming to sell the business.”

After coming to look at the deli for the first time, Sherrill decided that he and his wife would purchase it.

“It filled the expectations I was looking for in a business, loyal customer base, cleanliness and unique,” he said.

Plans for the near future are aimed at improving the deli that Brown started. It has added two flat-screen televisions and WiFi and will soon obtain a beer and wine license to serve customers inside the store. The deli also soon will be replacing the merchant and point-of-service with a state-of-the-art system to minimize customer wait times.

The business also soon plans to add more non-perishable items, expand on the perishable items and repaint the store.

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“We have also expanded on the lunch menu with salads, individual fruit and veggie trays and added five new sandwiches to the menu,” Sherrill said. “All to improve on our customers experience when visiting the store. Comfort and friendliness are our goals.”

Deli Creations employs anywhere between 10 to 14 employees and plans to expand into other locations.

“As we expand our hiring needs will continue to grow,” Sherrill said.

The business kept the recognizable Brown’s Deli moniker for a year while it slowly transitioned to the new Deli Creations name in early July on its one-year anniversary.

We wanted “Creations” as part of the name to indicate we would be creating new, exciting things that you wouldn’t typically find in a delicatessen.

A new state of the art LED-lit Deli Creations sign features the store’s mascot, “Schad the Pig,” named after its top-selling lunchmeat, Schad’s ham.

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