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Tony and Jen Martin opened the brick-and-mortar location of Big Belly Deli earlier this month. For two-and-a-half years they operated a food truck by the same name. (Holly Jackson/WDN)

(Holly Jackson/WDN)

(Holly Jackson/WDN)

(Holly Jackson/WDN)

(Holly Jackson/WDN)

(Holly Jackson/WDN)

At the corner of Bridge and Fifth Streets in Washington, and in between slinging sandwiches, Tony and Jen Martin peered from the window of their food truck, across an intersection, to a small restaurant building they hoped would be theirs. 

A few months later, Jen looked through the windows of that same building to see the corner lot where she and Tony started planning and preparing to manifest their dream of opening a restaurant. 

Jen said it feels “amazing” to be in a building where there’s plenty of space for staff, patrons and creativity with flavors. 

Two-and-a-half years ago, Tony and Jen opened a food truck, Big Belly Deli, at a campground in Chocowinity. They created pressed sandwiches heavily influenced by Italian and French cuisines. Tony apprenticed under chefs from The Greenbriar Resort, the Culinary Institute of America and Johnson and Wales. Tony spent 15 years in the culinary scene of western North Carolina before he, Jen and their daughter moved to the eastern side of the state. 

Sandwiches, Tony said, was a great way to combine a lot of flavors into one meal. Plus, it was easier to make in a food truck that’s around 75 sq. ft. 

“I really can’t saute in there,” Tony said when describing the limited space inside the Big Belly Deli food truck. 

“I do know a lot of sandwiches and how flavors go together. That’s why we were like, ‘let’s get a panini press and let’s get some sandwiches going and see how that takes off.’ It was an instant hit,” he continued.  

At their new brick-and-mortar location, the Martins will serve up their popular menu while adding featured sandwiches to the daily rotation like the Monte Cristo and Grinder. 

In a couple of months, they anticipate expanding the menu to include a selection of dinner entrees. The current plan is to offer a small, rotating menu of pasta dishes that use fresh, in-season ingredients. The noodles, Tony said, will be made from scratch. 

The “unpretentious” menu will consist of comfort foods that will transport patrons to the kitchens of French and Italian grandmothers with every bite. Roast chicken, Sunday gravy, pappardelle pasta, ravioli, mussels and bruschetta are just some of the items that are planned for Big Belly Deli’s dinner service, the Martins said. 

Tony and Jen said the expanded menu and new restaurant space would not have been possible without the “immense” amount of community support they’ve received. 

“It’s amazing the support that we’ve got from the community,” Jen said. She described the Washington community where everyone who supports them feels like a “big brother” or a “big sister” in a “big family.”  

Big Belly Deli’s new location opened more than a week ago. Tony and Jen said the restaurant has been “slammed” every day since. “We’ve been so busy, but it’s been great. We’re really, really happy we’ve been able to help everybody,” she said. 

Big Belly Deli is located at 422 Bridge Street. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 

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