By Jared Ochacher
Marathon Deli owner George Soldatos is excited about the demolition of his restaurant to construct a new apartment building.
Marathon Deli will eventually move to a bigger site near the bars on Baltimore Avenue. Soldatos recognizes the new business opportunities that he can take advantage of at a larger storefront and in a more central location. He could not provide further details about the plans due to a non disclosure agreement he signed with the school.
Soldato hopes that the new location will allow Marathon to turn a greater annual profit. When students go home for winter and summer break, Soldatos said that he loses about half of his earnings. But, a new apartment building filled with students will result in additional customers.
“Now people can move here; families can move here,” said Soldatos.
Planning documents filed with Prince George’s County show that a development company, Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC, intends to knock down nine stores in the College Park Shopping center to create new housing.
Greystar has never contacted Marathon Deli. All communication has been through the university because the school owns the buildings in the shopping center, according to Soldatos. The original landlord and owner, who Soldatos previously paid rent to, died three years ago and donated the properties to the university.
Soldatos is enthusiastic about the development project because College Park has not been renovated in a long time and could use revitalization. The area will now have a “good university, good apartments and a lot of good food,” said the owner.
Such development efforts are part of the College Park City-University Partnership to “make College Park a top 20 College town by 2020,” an initiative that President Loh spearheaded in 2011, requesting that the city develop a strategy to improve housing and development, along with other strategy areas, with the intent of improving the town bordering campus.
Soldatos has been the owner of the deli for five years, and explained that it has been passed down in his family for decades. He has worked hard during his years in control to update the restaurant to cater to the main source of income: students.
Marathon now serves food seven days per week, and stays open until 3 a.m. every night except Sundays. The restaurant also offers affordable specials and signature dishes that draw large crowds. Soldatos estimates that 70 percent to 90 percent of the customers are from this university
“I work for the students,” Soldatos said. “They are everything to us.”
For undecided sophomore Jared Scheff, he is a loyal customer of Marathon Deli and frequently goes there late at night.
“They have the best fries around” said Scheff “And inside there is loud music. Students feel welcome there.”
The new Marathon Deli has the potential to be a step up from the current restaurant. Soldatos is thinking of including a bar, a DJ, and of course, his famous “marathon fries.”
Stories Beneath the Shell 