Kona’s Deli Rises

I’ve become too accustomed to seeing beloved San Luis institutions disappear. It seemed like every year at college I would get an email from home telling me that a part of my youth had gone and my town had changed forever. First McCarthy’s got booted and Court Street turned into the Orange County nonsense it is now. Insomniac Video’s closing represented the end of an era, not just in San Luis but around the world. The Fremont remains (for now at least) but we shall never again enjoy Hudson’s mud pie after a late night movie. Old, funky San Luis is disappearing as greedy people realize how much money it is worth.

Something wonderful happened yesterday, the trend reversed. Kona’s is back!

"I'm sick of eating hoagies! I want a grinder, a sub, a foot-long hero!"

Kona’s Deli didn’t close, it burned down. I could fill an entire entry with rumors about what (or who) started the fire that destroyed half the old wooden complex off Foothill, but I never really cared because the truth wouldn’t bring Kona’s back. San Luis was still home to an inordinate number of superb delis, some arguably making tastier sandwiches than Kona’s, but Kona’s was special. Many people my age grew up with it, from splitting half subs with our siblings to eating entire footlongs at lunch during High School.

As soon as Mac “Chops” Sutcliffe told me Kona’s had re-opened on Friday I wanted a footlong “Destroyer” on wheat. After a beautiful Osos morning session with dolphins and otters, a sando never tasted so good. And after eighteen months of mourning, I’ve never felt happier eating a sandwich.

The old decorations are gone and the walls sparse, but the epic shot of Van Curaza backdooring the Central Coast’s most famous slab is already up. All the original sandos are available and still come in the classic wrapper. Most importantly it still smells like Kona’s. And I finally put a Kona’s sticker on my Rootamental board.

Kona’s is back! Slocals rejoice! Our town may not become Socal after all.