Business Profile: Lexingtone Avenue Deli, Mohegan Lake
“pipes” Howard, Dom “the whistle” Asprea and Bobby “bats”
Howard. Not in photo Victor “Portuguese” lobo and Gilberto “no
show” Gomes.
Dominick Asprea, and his brother-in-law, Bert Gomes, had owned the Lexington Deli in Mohegan Lake for several years before deciding to sell it in 2005. It was “just the right time to sell,” Asprea said last week.
But Asprea and Gomes could not stay away from their former establishment for long.
“The person who we sold it to didn’t do the right thing, so we took it over, remodeled it and re-opened it,” Asprea said. “
Asprea defined doing the right thing as “taking care of customers” and having the appropriate products in the store.
On December 17, 2011, Asprea and Gomes, who both reside in Bronxville, re-took ownership of the deli.
Sandwiches are one of the trademarks of the deli, Asprea said. The specialty sandwiches have their own creative names. For example, Spice Daddy is turkey with pepper jack cheese, jalapeno peppers and Cajun mayonnaise; The Lex features chicken cutlet, ham, bacon, prosciutto, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing; The Boss includes sirloin steak, ham, mushrooms, melted cheese peppers, and onions. Vegetarians can order Where’s the Beef?, which features fried eggplant, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, oil and vinegar.
Asprea and Gomes came up with fund task of coming up with the names of their specialty sandwiches.
The deli also offers catering services that provides “anything you want. We cater to you,” Asprea said. The deli is offering a 10 percent coupon for all catering orders with a newspaper coupon.
In addition, the Lexington Delis offers such hot dishes as pasta and chicken cordon bleu. The deli sells a variety of goods baked and delivered daily from the Bronx, including bagels, danishes and donuts. The deli also sells Italian and Portuguese grocery items.
Asprea said his business has made donations to local schools, including Walter Panas High School, Van Cortlandtville Elementary School and Lincoln-Titus Elementary School by providing such items as foods and gift cards for school events
The deli also provides catering services to schools in the area and provided catering for the Walter Panas High School football games.
If you work with the schools and the community at large, you will attract additional customers, Asprea said. “You want to give back to the community so they come back and give to you,” he said.
While Asprea said he was happy with the amount of customers who come in for breakfast, his lunch “is up and down. One day I’m great, the next day I’m not.”
When not working, Asprea plays softball and baseball in various leagues.
Asprea said he wants to provide personal service to his customers. “Everybody who comes here knows me,” he said. “I know I’m a good guy. I like to make them laugh. I’m a comedian.”
The Lexington Deli is located at 3080 Lexington Ave. in Mohegan Lake. It is open Mondays through Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is (914) 528-0202 and the fax number is (914) 528-0160.
