Deke’s in Delray owner Nico Manuel stands in what he plans to make another coffee shop come early July. The gutted building used to house the Briny Hair Salon. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Patrick Sherry
When Nico Manuel, owner of Deke’s in Delray, drove along scenic State Road A1A, he saw an opportunity to create a new community hub in Briny Breezes. After starting his coffee-bean roasting business in his parents’ garage a few blocks away in Ocean Ridge, he is now working to create a one-stop shop for high-quality offerings in the barrier island community.
Deke’s in Briny Breezes is expected to have its grand opening on the Fourth of July weekend. The new coffee-and-more business will replace the Briny Hair Salon, 4800 N. Ocean Blvd., which closed its doors in April after 34 years in business. The new shop will serve customers specialty coffee, baked goods, and locally sourced grocery items.
“I love that area; it’s one of my favorite stretches of A1A,” Manuel said. “I just thought Deke’s would be a perfect fit for that community.”
Before deciding to open Deke’s in Briny Breezes, Manuel had spent years of holidays and school breaks vacationing near the community. His parents owned a home in Ocean Ridge, which they later moved to full-time. He remembers visiting the now-closed Seaside Deli & Market, spending time at the so-called Dog Beach, and enjoying the “old Florida” atmosphere along A1A. These experiences inspired him to open a new space to re-create that type of community gathering place he felt had been lost.
“I’ve been here for a while, and I knew what the deli was like,” Manuel said. “When I saw the vacancy here, for rent, I thought we could really expand the Deke’s brand here and fulfill the hole that I knew the community had lost.”
Nico and his family — wife Danica and 8-month-old ‘Baby V’ — and staff at the downtown Delray Beach location of Deke’s.
Manuel has operated Deke’s in Delray off East Atlantic Avenue in downtown Delray Beach since 2020. After moving to his parents’ Ocean Ridge home, he started roasting coffee beans in their garage, which led him to open the brick-and-mortar location. The coffee shop and espresso bar focus on roasted coffee and a high-quality cafe menu. The existing Delray Beach shop will be the flagship location, with the management team using some of its infrastructure to support the new shop. Deke’s plans to roast the coffee in Delray Beach and deliver it to Briny Breezes while using part of the new building for a bakery and grocery outlet.
The team’s proposal beat out five other prospective tenants for the lease of the location after the town’s management company decided not to renew the hair salon’s lease. Town officials from Briny Breezes selected Manuel’s proposal based on its success at its flagship shop and familiarity with the area.
“They will be very local, community-focused; Nico from Deke’s… is very well known in the community,” said Michael Gallacher, general manager of Briny Breezes Inc. “They are a family-oriented and community-oriented business. I look forward to seeing lots of community support for Deke’s in Briny Breezes.”
The team plans to start by serving beverages and some pastry items, then expand more into food production. One of the main goals is to eventually begin selling products from local vendors to support nearby businesses.
“Introducing local food that is going to make you feel good and support the local economy, I think, is pertinent now more than ever,” Manuel said. “The ethos ultimately is with quality and secondarily with local support.”
Since signing the lease in May, the shop’s team has been in Briny Breezes regularly and working with partners to get everything ready for July. The team is hoping to make the new shop a community center where residents can gather and socialize.
He’s also paying homage to the past, keeping the “Briny” — from “Briny Hair Salon” — that was emblazoned on one of the store’s windows, and incorporating a pair of old hair dryer chairs from the salon in the new decor.
“Overall, the community is excited to have a business there that more residents will patronize and enjoy. … This will be a nice opportunity for Briny residents and guests,” Gallacher said.
Manuel and his team started a GoFundMe to raise funds for the new location. Their goal is to raise $85,000, and patrons had donated $11,000 as of May 20. The money from the fundraiser will be used for general construction, equipment, and other business fees.
To learn more about Deke’s or its fundraising campaign, visit dekesindelray.com.
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