The Original Wolfie's to open location in Lakewood Ranch

Growing up, Jason Starkman always spent his time in a restaurant.

His father, Isaac Starkman, founded Jerry’s Famous Deli in California. By 10 years old, Jason Starkman was cleaning out deli cases and bussing tables. He spent every moment he could at the restaurant.

By the time he was a junior in high school, Starkman was managing one of his father’s delis.

Starkman watched as his father built an empire worth millions and a menu that included more than 450 items. 

Starkman never looked back. He stayed with the family business and they grew it together, going on to acquire Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House in the mid-1990s. In 2013, the family purchased Wolfie's name and brand. 

Jonathan Mitchell, who started working with Isaac Starkman in 1995, went on to open The Original Wolfie's in Sarasota and brought Jason Starkman on board to help with the venture.

“It’s funny, every now and then in our business, we always think, I’m done, I’m going to try something else," Starkman said. "Then we always end up back in the business because everything else we’re trying is either too slow (in comparison) or it’s just not the same.”

Starkman, who is the director of operations, is adding to his family’s legacy in the restaurant business with a new The Original Wolfie’s grab ‘n’ go and delivery service in Lakewood Ranch. 

The Lakewood Ranch Wolfie’s, located at 5318 Paylor Lane, will serve as a production facility and commissary for both the Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota locations. 

Photo by Liz Ramos

Starkman and Mitchell said many people come from Lakewood Ranch to the Wolfie’s in Sarasota, so having a location was a natural progression. 

With Lakewood Ranch being the best-selling multigenerational, master-planned community in the U.S., Starkman said they would be missing out on opportunities if they didn’t have a location in Lakewood Ranch. 

“Lakewood Ranch is the future. Everything is moving out here,” he said. “The location, while off the beaten path, is still right in the heart (of Lakewood Ranch).”

Although there isn’t a full kitchen that will give Starkman and Mitchell the opportunity to offer the full Wolfie’s menu available in Sarasota, Starkman said people still can order hot sandwiches and purchase prepared foods such as soups and pre-packaged sandwiches. The Lakewood Ranch location also will offer delivery through DoorDash. 

The menu will include soups, pickles, salads, bread, made-to-order sandwiches, pre-made sandwiches, frozen foods, bakery items and bagels. 

“I can’t wait to open the doors and start serving the food that people are craving,” Starkman said. “It’s empowering because when you’re doing that good of a job and producing something that great, people are dying for it. It’s just very satisfying.”

Starkman said Wolfie’s is all about food made from the heart, as it always has been with any restaurant he has owned or had a role in throughout his career. 

Starkman said the grab ‘n’ go options allow people to receive a homemade meal without having to wait. The frozen food options also will be homemade recipes ready to throw into the oven at home, he said. 

For Mitchell and Starkman, working in the restaurant industry has been a calling. Starkman said he only considered one other career option, which was becoming a professional golfer. 

“I took some time during the summers (in high school), and I was really good,” Starkman said. “I played a few tournaments, and I realized my idea of good is still very good, but it’s not good enough.”

He decided to stick with the restaurant business. He became more invested in the family business when he took it upon himself to make the restaurant chain more digital savvy by computerizing all its systems. 

Mitchell has owned businesses in various industries and didn’t start getting involved in the restaurant business until 1995 when he partnered with Isaac Starkman on Jerry’s Famous Deli. He now is a co-owner and shareholder of the Pei Wei Restaurant Chain and corporation.

Mitchell said opening the Lakewood Ranch location will give him an opportunity to hear from more people about the stories they have from when their parents or grandparents would go to Wolfie’s, Rascal House or another restaurant they own. 

“You can see their eyes starting to tear up thinking about it, and it’s very touching,” Mitchell said. “It touches me and propels me to do this because I’m giving people something they ordinarily wouldn’t get in the course of a day. It’s not just a meal. There’s an emotional element to it.”

If there is enough demand for Wolfie’s in the area, Starkman and Mitchell said they will look into opening a small location with a full-service kitchen that will offer table service in Lakewood Ranch.