CINCINNATI — One new deli is working to dispel the myth that sandwich making is easy by upgrading the classics.
But this new lunch spot is the culmination of years of hard work and a love story.
What You Need To Know
- Young Buck Deli opened in OTR in Cincinnati in May
- The deli is owned by Brian and Caitlin Young who met on Top Chef
- The two chefs have worked together and opened other restaurants but say this concept has always been a dream
- The couple bakes fresh focaccia bread and slices up house-made meats every day
Walking into Young Buck Deli in Over-The-Rhine in Cincinnati, you’ll find Brian and Caitlin Young.
Caitlin’s laugh is a greeting many get walking through their doors and was what Brian noticed first about his wife.
“My first impression of her is that she laughed really loud and had a huge smile," Brian Young said.
The two chefs had a unique meeting- on the popular TV show Top Chef.
“You know, like with the TV show, you feel like you're kind of typecast," Caitlin Young said. "I definitely was like the Midwest mom, and he was dressed like Johnny Cash and did not emote. And so I just instantly thought he was cast as the bad guy. But he ended up being like the nicest, sweetest person ever. And we became best friends. And then we fell in love.”
From there, the two have worked together, started restaurants, and grown a family, but this deli has always been a dream.
Which has become Young Buck where the couple bakes fresh bread for each sandwich and house-made deli meats.
The shop now changing the way their customers think about breakfast and deli sandwiches.
“Sandwich has become like this, word that reminds us of not having time to eat a real meal," Brian Young said.
But beyond the meats and bread, this is a culmination of many years of hard work.
“Not only am I lucky to get to do this with my husband and facilitate a business that supports our family, but, we get to do it with people who care equally as much and are as proud of the things that we're creating," Caitlin Young said.
Seeing their early success is something these chefs can relish in.
“I’ve always really been hopeful that one day when I was going to open mine, that we would get the same kind of love and attention," Brian Young said. "And we’ve been really blessed.”