By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN – A local landmark is once again open to guests in Manalapan.
The landmark is not the site where a Revolutionary Way battle was fought or where New Jersey soldiers trained for duty in the Civil War.
This landmark is a place where people on their way to work and school, or during the work day, can stop by for coffee, breakfast, lunch and a respite from their chores.
The venerable Battleground Deli, Route 522, near Tennent Road, has reopened under the new ownership of area residents Ken Wester, Eric Rouskas and John Bennent.
Wester said he and his partners were previously associated with the Colonial Coffee Shop in Howell and Woody’s Roadside Tavern in Farmingdale.
The Battleground Deli, which is in what some maps still refer to as the Tennent section of Manalapan, had been closed for several years.
Wester said he and his partners came to the deli through the family that previously owned and operated the business and struck a deal to rent the location. The partners are tenants of the property owners and have a 10-year lease for the deli, he said.
“We have completely renovated the interior of the deli,” Wester said. “We will be open for breakfast and lunch six days a week and we are in the process of developing our catering menu.”
Hours of operation at the Battleground Deli will be 5:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The deli will be closed on Sunday.
The deli is around the corner from Manalapan High School and students and staff members who stop in between 6-8 a.m. Monday through Friday and show school identification will receive a 10 percent discount on their purchase, Wester said.
He said the deli will offer breakfast sandwiches, omelettes, wraps, subs, homemade soups, Boar’s Head cold cuts and additional food selections.
