In the Limelight: Marty’s Deli
Marty’s Deli occupies a busy and charming corner of Northeast Minneapolis. Located on the intersection of Lowry and 4th, Marty’s Deli was founded in 2022 by Martha (Marty) Polacek. Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, Polacek was living in New York City, and was working in restaurants. When Covid hit, she and her partner packed up & relocated to Minneapolis (where much of her family resides). When she first moved to Minneapolis, she spent time collaborating with local organizations to cook and deliver donated meals. Through being inspired by this work, and by her restaurant experience, Marty’s Deli was born.
Nowadays, Marty’s Deli boasts an Instagram following of over 15,000 and a lot of local celebrations. However, its beginnings were humbler. Marty’s began as lunchtime sandwich pop-ups across the Twin Cities, using storefronts and restaurants as it’s daily-shifting temporary home. Polacek’s pop-ups began in November of 2020, when in her words, “we [collectively] didn’t have anything going on”. The cold weather and desire for connection led Marty’s pre-order sandwiches to be a success right from the start. For two years, sandwiches travelled across the city, landing in locations such as Bar Brava on the North side, and Bench Pressed Letterpress in Seward. Towards the end of Marty’s pop-up endeavors, an announcement was made that a brick-and-mortar sandwich shop was coming. Pop-ups continued throughout the restaurant build-out and were only paused for six weeks in advance of the shop’s grand opening.
Martha Polacek
On January 9, 2023, on a frigid 1-degree day, Marty’s officially opened their doors to the public. This first day proved to be a huge success, foreshadowing Marty’s success in the months since. Clad in deep royal blue aprons, Polacek gestures to her staff, and emphasizes just how deeply they make Marty’s what it is. She tells us that Marty’s front end manager, Margaret, has regulars Polacek doesn’t even know (she’s just that welcoming!). Marty’s is absolutely not a solo endeavor. With Polacek’s family nearby, they show their touches across the shop. Polacek’s sister, Catherine, is a graphic designer, and designed all the merchandising and assisted with interior decorating in the shop. Polacek’s father, Dave, takes up residence as Northeast’s #1 Notary once a week, on Wednesdays from 8-10 am to notarize documents free of charge. Need a sandwich and a document notarized at the same time? Marty’s has got you covered! Marty’s recently added breakfast sandwiches to their menu, and they’re constantly rotating seasonal sides specials depending on what’s available locally. Right now, Polacek is focused on keeping her employees and customers happy and content and making delicious sandwiches. Sounds like a recipe for success to us.
Check out Marty’s for sunny vibes, and delicious artisanal sandwiches 5 days a week on their quaint little corner of NE. Their hours are Wednesday-Friday 8am-3pm, and Saturday-Sunday 9am-3pm. Follow them on Instagram @martysdeli.