Day-to-day interactions with happy customers keeps Pastrami Joe’s owner going

Andrew Scibbe’s plan was to become a pastor and be in ministry as a way to positively impact people’s lives. Then he found another way that could use the skills he developed while selling automobiles and furniture and working in restaurants.

Partway through his higher education in ministry, Scibbe switched and decided instead to learn about business. He graduated from Purdue University in 2019 with a degree in entrepreneurship. 

In 2022, he purchased Pastrami Joe’s Deli in Marshall. Two years later, he reopened a second location in downtown Battle Creek, which had closed in 2021 because of the Pandemic.  Scibbe recently took time away from his hectic schedule to do a talk with “On the Ground Battle Creek.” Here’s what he had to say:

Q. When did Pastrami Joe’s originally open?

A. Pastrami Joe’s opened in 2003. The original owner was Mike Caron, who named the shop after his son, Joe.

The Marshall location was the first one. I’m not sure about the timeline for the Battle Creek store, which closed because of a reduction in business from COVID. 

One of my goals when I bought Pastrami Joe’s was to reopen a Battle Creek location, which we did in 2024. The Battle Creek Community Foundation (BCCF) approached me about a space that was becoming available, which was built out for food service, and asked if I would be interested in coming back downtown.

Q. Where do your customers come from?

A. In Marshall, they’re either living in or working in Marshall. The customer base in Battle Creek is people working in Battle Creek who come in from Kellanova or the Federal Center.

Q. How was the Marshall location able to withstand the challenges from the Pandemic?

A. My best guess is that Marshall, as a community, was a little more resilient than downtown Battle Creek, which relies heavily on workers in the downtown area coming in on their lunch break, whereas Marshall has a broader customer base.

Q. What made you decide to buy the business?

A. I had worked for Chick-fil-A for a long time and wanted to own and open a new location. It didn’t work out, and that was around the same time that I learned that Pastrami Joe’s was going up for sale. The joke between my wife and I was that if I couldn’t buy a Chick-fil-A, I could buy Pastrami Joe’s. 

I discovered that I could impact people in a way that I couldn’t do in a church.

Q. In a land of franchises, how have you been able to stay in business?

A. I will say, it is tough in downtown Battle Creek to have large chains with brand names and corporate marketing budgets. What we do in Marshall and what we’re trying to do in Battle Creek is to provide people with quality food and an experience they’re not going to get anywhere else. We take pride in making our food from scratch and using the best ingredients.

How much better can you make a turkey sandwich? There’s not that much room to grow. We make it good and try to make coming in a fun experience for our customers. Making it fun is what I’m trying to do. If you go into either store right now, we’ve decorated them both with a tropical theme with grass skirts and pineapples.

At the end of the day, my mission is to have an impact on people and the community every day. Every month, we do a fundraiser. We pick an organization and 10 percent of our sales on a particular day go back to them.

We use philanthropy as one of our marketing tools. We make a difference through organizations and individuals. During Christmas, we hang up tickets on the wall and anybody can take one and get a free meal. The holidays can be hard if money is the thing keeping someone from being happy.

Q. What’s your most popular sandwich?

A. The Hot Italian Grinder.

Q. Where do your ingredients come from?

A. A lot of our meats come from here in Michigan. Our corned beef and pastrami are made by a business in Detroit, and our coffee comes from Café Rica. We try to use products from Michigan as much as possible.

Q. Any new menu items on the horizon?

A. On March 2, we’re rolling out a new menu. We’ve got a new Italian sub that will have more meat. We’ll also have a turkey pesto cub called “The Spartan.”

Q. Have you thought about expanding your menu?

A. I’m a very food-oriented person. I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with things and tailoring those things towards our customers. At the same time, we know what lane we’re in with this business.

Q. How many people do you employ at each location?

A. We have a total of 24, and four of them work at the Battle Creek location. Some of them will work at our Marshall store.

Q. Your store hours in Marshall are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, and in Battle Creek, you’re open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. How do these hours help you stay balanced?

A. There is some sanity to not having to think through dinner and longer hours. At night in Battle Creek, I would have to pay staff to be there and compete with New Holland Brewing and The Cricket for dinner customers. The former owners of Pastrami Joe’s told me that the dinner business is tough.

Q. What do you most enjoy about your work?

A. Really, it’s the day-to-day interactions with customers and seeing them enjoy the food. I really like walking in and seeing tables filled with people talking to each other. Our Marshall location seats 26, and we can seat 20 in Battle Creek. 

Q. How does Pastrami Joe’s add to the vibrancy and culture of Battle Creek?

A. I think we bring the authentic deli experience that nobody else does. We want to give back where we do business. When I reopened the store in Battle Creek, people were telling me that Pastrami Joe’s is an institution.

This story is part of Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative’s coverage of equitable community development. SWMJC is a group of 12 regional organizations dedicated to strengthening local journalism. Visit swmichjournalism.com to learn more.