Kirkwood Deli & Grocery Gets New Owner

Owning Kirkwood Deli & Grocery is like coming full circle for Connie Frahm, a longtime Kirkwood resident and graduate of Kirkwood High School.

Frahm took ownership of Kirkwood Deli & Grocery from Sam Abdallah last Tuesday after working for Abdallah for the past six months. Orginally Abdallah approached Frahm about running the business for him but then asked if she would be interested in buying the business.

"I said, 'Why not?'" Frahm said. "I love working  here and I get to see all the people I graduated high school with that I haven’t seen in 20, 30 years, so it’s a lot of fun."

Frahm remembers visiting the location after school for snacks during her days as a Pioneer.

"It's like going full circle," she said, adding that she loves the feeling of being "in the thick" of Kirkwood.

"Now I'm working with my friends' kids. It's just home. It's got that good neighborhood feeling here," Frahm said.

Frahm will continue Abdallah's vision of the business at West Essex Avenue and North Geyer Road as a deli and grocery. 

The new owner is in the process of stocking the deli with Boar's Head meat at a price lower than what shoppers will find at grocery store chains.

"I want it to be more of a full service deli," said Frahm who wants to give customers more choices and hopes they will buy meat by the pound. The deli also will sell loaves of bread used for sandwiches. The business' menu, which includes the popular gyros, will stay the same.

Frahm also plans on offering customers more basic grocery items like paper goods and bath items.

Ultimately, it's all about serving Kirkwood Deli & Grocery's loyal customers and carrying on the tradition of a local store. It's about being part of Kirkwood.

"We have a lot of wonderful customers that we see everyday," Frahm said. "It’s a big family here."