New Rochester deli serves its customers and its employees

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A new deli in Rochester is serving up more than food.

The ArcDeli on Elmwood Avenue is the Arc of Monroe’s third restaurant. The goal is to help prepare its clients for the workforce and to show prospective employers that people of all abilities can be good employees.

For nearly seven decades, the Arc of Monroe has been helping people of all abilities reach their full potential in our community. Adding this third ArcDeli is helping further that mission.

At the ArcDeli, employees don’t learn just one job, they learn all of them.

“I do the register, I do salads, I do fish fry’s, I do all kinds of stuff here,” says ArcDeli on Elmwood employee, Carrie Saurini.

This deli is staffed by clients of the Arc of Monroe: people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Here, customers get sandwiches and soup and employees get training and experience.

“So it is an employment track where they can gain all sorts of skills, whether it’s actually the food prep, working with people, dealing with customer service, and can be a stepping stone for them to get a position within the community competitively employed,” says President and CEO of the Arc of Monroe, Tracy Petrichick.

The deli offers both breakfast and lunch, with a wide variety of food in its menu.

Carrie says this is the most popular item.

“Chicken fingers and fries,” Carrie said.

Besides helping clients develop job skills, working at the deli also gives them the chance to interact with the broader community.

“Opportunities to continue to make connections within our community is so important. Every time we do it’s heartwarming, its satisfying, we know we’re on this mission together,” says Petrichick.

“It’s a good place to work,” Carrie said.

The ArcDeli is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday in the Al Sigl building on Elmwood Avenue, right through entrance five.