Servers walk from the kitchen to the tables and back again in the Village Deli, sporting colorful T-shirts and trays full of pancakes and drinks.
Located on Kirkwood Avenue, the Deli opens at 7 a.m. during the week and 8 a.m. on weekends and is always open until 6 p.m. Students, parents and Bloomington locals crowd their way through the double doors of the restaurant for breakfast and lunch and, most often, brunch.
Homecoming weekend is one of the busiest weekends in town and on campus. It brings parents and students alike out onto the streets of Bloomington, and walking down Kirkwood is a classic homecoming activity. So is stopping in to eat at the Deli, manager Thomas Jack “TJ” Ruzga said.
“The Village Deli has always been a Bloomington staple, especially for parents weekend,” Ruzga said. “When parents come down, this is one of the places they like to visit.”
The number of servers at the Deli doubled during busy times like Homecoming weekend in comparison to the slow summer months, Ruzga said. Quick service is one of the Deli’s specialties, and when they get extremely busy, they still offer their full menu, but servers will recommend quick dishes for people who are on a time crunch.
“Generally we tell customers that anything with eggs comes out faster, rather than pancakes and French toast which take a little bit longer,” Ruzga said.
The pancakes at the Deli are made from scratch according to the Deli’s website, and long-time server Jared Cleaver said they’re one of the things that pleasantly surprise people from out of town.
The pancakes fill the entire plate on which they are served, and can be made with up to three toppings from the list on their menu. So although the servers let people know that other dishes will be ready to eat faster, people are always willing to wait for the colossal cakes.
During busy weekends like Homecoming, there’s not much the servers can do to get themselves prepared other than acknowledging that they’re going to be busy.
“I just make sure to wear IU gear because that’s always fun, and I feel like the parents really appreciate that,” server Addison Rump said.
Jared Cleaver, who has been serving at The Village Deli for seven years, said he doesn’t believe there’s a typical day at the deli in terms of the people that walk through the doors of the restaurant.
“Every customer we get is different, and every experience is different,” Cleaver said. “I would say the only thing that is different between a regular weekend and, say, homecoming weekend, is that it is exponentially busier.”
So, when looking for a place to drink coffee and eat huge pancakes, the Deli may be the spot. Getting there early may help, but the servers and management all said that big weekends are busy from the second the door is unlocked. They say it’s worth the wait, though.
“Have you actually been to Bloomington if you haven't taken a trip to the Village Deli?” Cleaver said.
