Who we are
Hey there! We’re Paul and Ian. We’ve been friends for over 10 years, first meeting each other in New York at the Culinary Institute of America. We hit it off immediately as we both hail from the North East, and share an affinity for that classic deli sandwich found so commonly in our hometowns, New York City and Boston. Fresh baked bread, some fillings, and a few condiments are all it takes to transform a bad day into a great one. Almost 7 years after meeting, we both randomly ended up in North Carolina, and found ourselves craving that North Eastern deli taste and feel. We began dreaming of our own little shop, always keeping the idea in our brains and waiting for when the time was right. And then, in early 2020, we saw the beautiful brick building standing at 2108 Angier Avenue. And here we are!
Some people think we’re called Ideal’s as in “the ideal sandwich” or “ideal grocery store”, but we’re not! Ideal’s is named after Ian’s grandfather, Ideal Thomas Saldi. Ideal grew up in a coal miner’s town outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began working when he was five years old, and had started his first union (for the paper boys) when he was only six (got them all an extra quarter penny). He still works six days a week, at age eighty seven, running his greenhouse in Bucks County, PA. He is a true inspiration of humility, kindness and hard work. He was also born on April Fools day, with a twin sister named Idea. His father ran around town telling his friends “Ideal and Idea were born!”, and no one believed him, until April 2nd! We just think that’s hilarious. Come eat some sammys!