Jason Sugarman turns his Jewish deli dream into Maven’s

A peppy pink sign beckons from the far end of the Blackstone Place parking lot, in Pawtucket: At long last, Maven’s Delicatessen is here.

The glinting glass doors of the “Authentic Jewish Deli” open every day at 8 a.m. Spindles of bagels jut out from a wall. Blown-up vintage photos hang above the booths. A sign advertises “Mahjong Mondays.” A quote from the writer Damon Runyon is prominently stenciled across the dining room: “There are two types of people in the world, those who love delis and those you shouldn’t associate with.”

This is the place that Jason Sugarman, 42, had dreamed about for years.

“This is my passion,” says Sugarman, a serial entrepreneur who lives with his family in Cranston. “I love delis. I love the history of delis. Delis are embassies for our culture. I want to fully commit to it.”

Sugarman has a boyish face and thick-framed glasses. His conversational style is rapid-fire, jumping from one industry anecdote to another.

“I’ve always loved restaurants,” says Sugarman, whose father, Lloyd, is a prolific franchisee. “I grew up around people who made [restaurant] concepts. I used to sleep in the basement of [his parents’] restaurant when my parents were working.”

Sugarman was born in Rhode Island, but his family moved to Arizona when he was young, followed by stints across California.

When Lloyd Sugarman bought into the chain diner Johnny Rockets, he became close with the franchise’s founder, Ronn Teitelbaum.

“He was always over at our house,” remembers Sugarman. “He was like a brother to my dad. Thick as thieves. He always spent time with me and wanted me to learn a lot of stuff. He taught me that a good way to teach is to ask questions. He would always say, ‘You can learn from anybody.’ ”

Sugarman already excelled in academics, and when the time came for college, he returned to his birth state to study at Bryant College (now Bryant University). His father’s business had expanded into New England, and Sugarman helped his father with the restaurants even while he majored in management and computer science, with a minor in psychology.

When Sugarman graduated in 2004, he started to work full time for his father, rising through the ranks for more than a decade.

Sugarman tried his hand at owning restaurants as well, including a small deli in a shopping mall and his own Johnny Rockets location. And when Lloyd invested in Pokéworks, a franchise specializing in Hawaiian poké, Sugarman wanted to get into the action as well.

Lloyd opened Pokéworks locations in Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Jason opened his first Pokéworks restaurant on Thayer Street in Providence in 2018. Soon, Jason had four Pokéworks across New England.

Lloyd Sugarman never expected his son to follow in his footsteps, yet Jason has embraced the same industry, and succeeded as a businessman.

For years, he imagined a deli like Maven’s, describing his dream to anyone who would listen.

Maven’s is a labor of love that transcends established branding. This place is personal.

“[My family was] never deeply rooted in our religion,” says Sugarman, who now attends Temple Beth-El, in Providence, with his wife and two children, Ari and Jacqueline. “We went to temple when I was younger. But every time we moved, it was like, ‘OK, we’ll join a temple later.’

“I always went to JCC [Jewish Community Center] camp when I was younger, and I always loved it. I wanted my cultural roots. I want to grow something that makes a difference for me and the community, and that’s kind of cool.”

Maven’s was also a chance for Jason to collaborate with his wife, Lauren, also 42. The couple was introduced in 2006.

“We met in true Rhode Island fashion, on a blind date arranged by friends,” Lauren quips. They’ve been married for 15 years.

Lauren is a graduate of the Rhode island School of Design and a freelance graphic designer. Her handiwork is everywhere at Maven’s: She created the menu, T-shirts and wall displays.

But she doesn’t hang around the restaurant. “Jason would fire me,” she jokes.

The hype around Maven’s reached a fever-pitch long before Maven’s opened, on Dec. 3. Throughout 2023, Providence residents chattered excitedly about the new deli that was rumored to open any month now. Many delis had closed in Rhode Island in recent years, so there were high expectations for Maven’s.

“I know we had a hard opening,” Sugarman concedes.

His chef suffered a broken arm, and staff required extra training, delaying the opening. Sugarman takes pride in Maven’s “scratch kitchen,” but it placed heavy demands on new employees.

When the Boston Globe asked him when Maven’s would open, Sugarman offered a date that seemed far in the future – but caught up with him quickly. The grand opening was pushed back, stoking anticipation.

By the time Maven’s did open, Sugarman was startled to see the hundreds of customers lined up outside. Some hopefuls waited all day and never stepped inside the door.

Now that Maven’s is in full swing, the deli seems like it was always there. A steady stream of customers comes through the door, and soon they will be treated to an expanding menu of salads and vegetarian options.

The wait is over, and Maven’s welcomes customers every day with its “Jewish” sign: “Est. 5783.”

“We wanted people to be excited about it,” Sugarman says of the opening. “But anyone who builds a restaurant, delays. It’s super common.”

He adds, “It’s a challenge, but it’s worth doing, in my mind.”

Maven’s Delicatessen, 727 East Ave., Pawtucket, is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). https://www.mavensdeli.com, 401-205-8560.

ROBERT ISENBERG is a freelance writer and multimedia producer based in Cranston. His latest book, “Mile Markers: Essays on Cycling,” was published this spring.