Cloud Springs Deli co-owners George Lepre and his aunt Carol Stupin, both of Ooltewah, own a new deli in Ringgold inside the Gateway Antique Mall complex.
Photo by Katie WardCloud Springs Deli owners George Lepre and his aunt Carol Stupin whip up success in the kitchen and laughter in the dining area.
“The barbecue drives you crazy it’s so good,” said Stupin, of Ooltewah, adding that the barbecue is smoked for 22 hours on-site. “All of our recipes are homemade. Everything we can do we do ourselves. We pick out our own produce, slice our own tomatoes and lettuce. It’s all fresh and handpicked.”
The deli offers Boars Head products by the pound as well as lunch and dinner meals. Gluten-free sandwiches are available.
“Brownies come with a high addiction warning,” said Lepre with a smile. “You can impress your boss by stopping by for a deli tray and brownies to bring to work.”
He said his main goal is to make customers laugh. Stupin said Lepre’s fun-loving jokes keep customers coming back for more.
“We tell customers, ‘It’s your store, tell us what you want,'” said Lepre. “We like getting people addicted to our food. It’s fun.”
Lepre and Stupin previously owned Snow Hill Grocery on Snow Hill Road in Ooltewah for 10 years. Through operating that store, they learned about deli operations. The pair decided they wanted to operate a store in a place with more traffic, so they opened Cloud Springs Deli in Ringgold last November.
“Boars Head is some of the best meat you can eat,” said Lepre. “It’s all good. It’s your sandwich, so you build it the way you want it. When in doubt, we throw it out. It always has to be top quality.”
LOCAL FLAVORCloud Springs Deli, at 4097 Cloud Springs Road in Gateway Antique Mall, is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To learn more contact the deli at 706-956-8128. The store can also be found on Facebook. The deli has a separate wing for musicians to play in on Saturdays. Every other Friday night at 7 p.m., Southern Championship Wrestling hosts matches in a ring in the separate wing behind the deli. People eating in the dining room can watch. The matches cost $7 per adult and kids pay $5. Children under 3 are free.
Lepre said while growing up in New Jersey he always worked at pizzerias and restaurants. Stupin used to live in Atlanta, where Boars Head products were the norm. The pair combined their knowledge to bring Cloud Springs Deli to life.
They come in at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. every day to the deli to start making salads and slicing tomatoes.
“I tell people, ‘Come see us and we’ll feed you good,'” said Lepre. “So far it has been a blast. We go with the flow and try to make people feel comfortable. We always tell customers to come back and see us.”