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The muffuletta sandwich is the specialty from the deli at Nor-Joe Imports in Old Metairie. (Staff photo Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

For decades, an old brick warehouse in Old Metairie by the railroad tracks has been the place for a great muffuletta and a slice of old country Italian ambiance between shelves of imported foods and cases of fresh pastas.

But now Nor-Joe Imports is on the move.

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Nor-Joe Imports in Old Metairie is a fixture for Italian specialties. (Staff photo Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

The old school deli has shut its doors at 504 Frisco Ave., with plans to reopen in a new location soon.

Nor-Joe owner Mark Subervielle confirmed the deli’s new home would still be in Metairie, now on Veterans Boulevard, but said he wasn’t ready to announce the address.

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The stalwart Nor-Joe Imports got a new owner in 2016 when Mark Subervielle bought the Metairie business. (Staff photo Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

In addition to a new retail location, he plans to open a separate production facility for Nor-Joe’s product line of lasagnas, marinated cheeses, seasonings and such. That was all under the same roof at the original location, and Subervielle said the opportunity to expand retail production and distribution is a big reason behind the move.

Expansion ahead

“We’ll miss our old neighborhood, and you hate to give up the old essence of the store,” said Subervielle. “But it’s about our production, it wasn’t compatible with what we need to do.”

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Nor-Joe Imports in Old Metairie is a fixture for Italian specialties. (Staff photo Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

Full production should be running in time for the holidays, and the new retail location will likely open first. It will have Nor-Joe’s muffulettas of course, and other specialties Subervielle has added in recent years, including the cannoli king cake and cheese wheel pasta (tossed in a hollowed parmesan wheel).

With increased production, he said, Nor-Joe could expand with additional retail locations around the metro area.

“The goal all along when I came in here was to expand beyond one store, and that’s still the goal.” Subervielle said.

Market history, changes

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Contributed photo - Nor-Joe Imports first opened in Old Metairie in the early 1990s and developed a regular following for its specialty foods and muffulettas.

Nor-Joe was named for its founders, Norma Schiffmann and Joe Giglio, a local couple who started out selling hand-made mozzarella. They developed the business into a supplier of specialty foods for many restaurants around the area, and opened their store in the early 1990s.

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The muffuletta sandwich is the specialty from the deli at Nor-Joe Imports in Old Metairie. (Staff photo Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

The muffuletta became a house specialty, made with a distinctive olive salad thick with shredded carrot and a mix of black and green olives that practically squeaks with oil.

But by 2016, the business had faded and the old store was up for sale. Subervielle, a real estate agent, eventually bought it and began a revival effort, including a street fair-style Muffuletta Festival to reintroduce the store to locals.

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Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

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