SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Ron Suriano II has been working to open Suriano’s Deli & Italian Specialties at 140 Clinton Street in Schenectady for about a year now. Although there’s still no opening date yet, he’s aiming for March.

The facade on the building needed to be completed, said Suriano, which caused a delay with opening. “We are working diligently on it,” he said. “I do most of the work to save on labor costs.”

Suriano won’t be running the deli alone. His partner Rosario Mannino was born in Italy and has many family recipes just like Suriano, so they can collaborate.

“I originally just wanted to do a community kitchen and then decided almost a year or so ago to open this deli well before all the others closed,” said Suriano. “I feel it’s a great location with all the Italian footprint in our city going away.”

Suriano also owns Moisture Salon on Barrett Street in Schenectady. He’ll be selling that location and the salon will be moving into the same building as the deli, said Suriano. He’ll then hopefully reopen the salon in February.

The deli will have meats, premade foods, frozen entrees, pasta, olives, cheeses, hot daily entrees for take out, and condiments that people can make from the deli’s recipe cards. Suriano’s Deli & Italian Specialties will also have catering, culinary classes, and vendors that rent the community kitchen can sell their products in the deli, said Suriano.

“There needs to be more accessible foods for local residents,” said Suriano.