by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
When Danny and Wendy Henry made the decision to sell their breakfast and sandwich shop in the concourse at the BB&T Building, it didn’t take them long to find someone who wanted to buy their popular operation.
Bill Perry had been looking around Downtown for a deli to purchase and it didn’t take the two parties long to strike a deal. A former banker, Perry had been in the deli business in Clearwater before he moved to Yulee to open a cabinet and flooring store.
“That was about six months before the housing market crashed,” he said.
After hanging on for more than a year, Perry decided it was time to return to serving quick meals and he decided a Downtown location was what he wanted. It’s all about the work schedule.
“I’ve got two sons who play sports and I wanted to have my evenings and weekends free,” said Perry.
Another requirement, which he called a “deal breaker” if it couldn’t happen, was that the Danny’s Place kitchen staff would stay to provide what the shop’s regular customers had come to expect. Perry also decided to keep the name instead of calling his new venture “Bill’s Place.”
“We’ve also kept the same menu and we still have a hot lunch, sandwich and salad special every day,” he said.
The Monday-Friday e-mail list remains, too. Perry said if anyone wants to receive the daily menu update, e-mail [email protected] and he’ll add the name to the list.
Buying the shop has been a homecoming for Perry, who said he’s glad to be back in the business, especially being able to continue to serve a loyal clientele.
“There has been a restaurant here for years. Customers in the building and in the neighborhood have depended on this place for years,” he said.
Perry also rediscovered what he liked most when he had his first deli.
“It’s great to meet all the people and get to know them because we see each other every day.”
356-2466