DeliDine Opens to Serve ‘Fine Food Fast’ in Kinsman

KINSMAN, Ohio – With no other place to get a made-to-order sub in this tiny town, Don Sutton, owner of DeliDine, saw a need for a full-service deli.

Being in the deli business is nothing new to Sutton. For most of his life, Sutton and his family owned and operated Bob’s Market, a local grocery store and deli along with Kinsman Rexall Pharmacy. When the market was destroyed by fire 20 years ago, the deli was moved to the square in Kinsman next to the pharmacy. 

Fifteen years ago, the pharmacy was sold due to personal hardships within the Sutton family and when the Kinsman IGA opened, business faltered at the deli leading to its closure. Since that time, Sutton has retired from the pharmacy.

“I’ve done a lot of research and studied restaurant journals for years to find out what people’s eating habits are today and younger people too so it can be a nice, affordable, family-friendly place,” Sutton said.

DeliDine, 6406 Kinsman Nickerson Road at Market Square, will have its grand opening on Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. Its menu features traditional hot and cold subs, wraps, homemade salads, rice and grain bowls and soups, as well as vegetarian and vegan items. 

Sutton travels to Cleveland to buy fresh meat, cheese and the supplies he needs for the deli, which had a soft opening in June.

“I found some good things that are good to eat and healthy at the same time, but we’ll still have our pulled pork sandwiches and meatball subs,” Sutton said. “We are customer-driven and will adjust our menu accordingly.”

The community’s response to DeliDine has been “very good,” Sutton said.

With most of the equipment available from the previous deli, Sutton invested just $3,000 to get DeliDine up and running, adding a new wall and cooler, he said. Customers can also enjoy an ice cream float from the soda fountain or browse the used bookstore, which are both onsite. 

“We still make the ice cream sodas, phosphates and malt milkshakes,” he said. “We’re making smoothies now too to be more on the modern side as well.” 

Christine McGill, employee and a long time friend of Sutton, is excited for the future of DeliDine. 

“I’m so excited for [Sutton],” she said. “He’s doing well and we sell anywhere from four to 10 subs a day, which in a small town is pretty good. I use my family recipes and we have a guy who comes in here just for my mom’s macaroni salad.”

Being a part of something that people enjoy feels good, McGill said. She sees DeliDine progressing well into the future as customers enjoy the books, antiques and the soda fountain, she said. 

“We lose people in here,” she said. “There will be cars parked out there for two or three hours and you don’t even know where the person is at, and all of a sudden they appear. Then they’re hungry, so that’s better yet. Walk around, get hungry, come eat and be on your way and it’s great. I think [Sutton’s] got it.” 

Fulfilling the motto of “fine food fast” is something that Sutton and his employees will strive to do daily, he said. The hours of operation are Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Being located on the square inside of a landmark building allows Sutton to promote tourism to his customers, he said.

“It is a unique place because we have a lot more besides the food,” he said. “The parking is not the greatest, but it is an easy to find place. My friends have helped me get some things going and I’m very thankful for them.”

Pictured above: Don Sutton has returned to his deli roots to open DeliDine at 6406 Kinsman Nickerson Road.

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