One of Jasper’s best-loved eateries is giving a new meaning to the phrase “take-away.”

After the space they leased was destroyed by last year’s wildfire, owners of the popular Patricia Street Deli are moving their operation out of the mountains and into the city.

“Out of the ashes comes opportunity,” said long-time Jasper sandwich purveyor, Glen Leitch, who runs the deli with his wife Wendy and step children, Jaimie Kreklewetz and Dustin Florence.

Leitch, who first opened his deli’s doors two decades ago, said he and the family have made the difficult decision to relocate to Edmonton after considering the long, uncertain road ahead they faced in Jasper. 

“Looking at the financial commitment, how long it would take to rebuild without any income, where our staff would live…I knew we were done in Jasper,” Leitch said. 

When Jasper evacuated on July 22, 2024, the Patricia Street Deli had just had its busiest month ever. But the fire severely damaged the Patricia Street plaza where the deli was housed (along with eight other businesses), and Leitch, who turned 70 last month, said he didn’t want to spend his golden years rebuilding. 

“It’s disappointing because we were just starting to carve out a good living,” he said.

The opportunity in Edmonton will allow them to remain competitive. But they couldn’t have got there without the support of their PSD patrons, who catapulted the deli’s KickStarter campaign over the Leitchs’ goal of $33,000 last month. 

“That support has been extremely heartwarming,” Glen said. 

And when Patricia Street Deli is pumping out soups and sandwiches at its new Edmonton location at 103 ave and 111 street, not only will hearts be warmed, but bellies will be full—just like they were in Jasper. 

“The legacy will be carried on,” Wendy said. 

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com