West Allis sandwich shop hopes to add deli-ghts

West Allis - If all goes as planned, the West Allis Cheese and Sausage Shoppe will break ground in September on an addition that will include a new sit-down restaurant.

Co-owner Mark Lutz said the restaurant would offer deli sandwiches, soups and other dishes, assuming the proposal gains city approval. A public hearing is set for Aug. 7.

"We should be done mostly in time for Christmas, hopefully," said Lutz, who runs the shop with his wife Linda and brother Howard.

The hearing is required because restaurants are considered a special use for the zone where the business is located, 6832 W. Becher St. After the hearing, the Common Council will have to give its blessings. Lutz's plan has won the support of the Plan Commission, which last week recommended its approval.

It's time for West Allis to have a deli-type restaurant in addition to its fast-food and other restaurant selections, Lutz said.

"The neighborhood is underserved and there's room for a nice deli sandwich and nice deli soup place," he said.

The business currently has only two tables. That would expand to as many as a dozen inside and three or four outside, Lutz said.

Currently, the business offers only a limited menu of grilled and cold sandwiches. Once the kitchen is built, it will be able to offer more than 20 kinds of sandwiches, plus made-from-scratch soups and side dishes, he said.

The menu will be similar to his successful deli-style restaurant operation in the Milwaukee Public Market in downtown Milwaukee, Lutz said. Last year, he also opened a similar establishment on Oakland Avenue near the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

- Jane Ford-Stewart