Uncle Paulie James is the co‑founder and owner of Uncle Paulie’s Deli. A native of Queens, New York, Paulie moved to Los Angeles and, together with friend and designer Jon Buscemi, opened the deli in 2017 to recreate the warm, community-driven Italian‑American sandwich shops he grew up loving. Paulie’s background is rooted in graffiti culture and the deli reflects that same urban, nostalgic energy. Beyond serving sandwiches, Paulie built the deli into a lifestyle brand, selling highly sought-after clothing, collaborating with brands like Carhartt WIP and Lacoste.

Angel: What’s going on with the deli? What’s new since we last spoke?

Uncle Paulie: The deli’s doing well. Catering’s doing great. We’ve got a solid wholesale business. We’re dropping more merch and opening more delis. That’s about it, just staying busy and keeping our foot on the gas.

Angel: How many shops do you have now?

Uncle Paulie: I’ve got 4 right now. One in Vegas, one in Studio City, the one we’re at now on 3rd Street, and I just opened a location in Echo Park by Dodger Stadium.

Angel: This one wasn’t the original, right?

Uncle Paulie: No, the original was on Beverly, but I had a fire there and had to relocate. The process to reopen was a nightmare, but luckily the insurance company came through in a way you don’t hear about often. They told me to find a new location and send them the invoice. So we found this new spot, which is a hundred times better than the original, and we opened up here.

Angel: How did you choose this area?

Uncle Paulie: I’m familiar with the area since I live close by. There’s a car wash across the street, a coffee shop, and a Sweetgreen next door. It’s bustling, lively, and full of energy. It’s also great at night because of the bars in the area. It just made sense.

Angel: What was the second one?

Uncle Paulie: The second one was downtown, but I ended up closing it.

Angel: What happened there?

Uncle Paulie: The landscape of downtown changed. I thought it was coming back, but it got too chaotic during COVID. Landlords were trying to raise rents, and there were some crazy incidents with people getting pushed off buildings. It just didn’t make sense to stay. I’m not completely ruling out returning to downtown, but for now, it was just too hectic.

Angel: So after that, you opened the next shop?

Uncle Paulie: Yeah, I opened the Studio City location.

Angel: How’s that been?

Uncle Paulie: Studio City is like small-town USA. I’m in my early 40s, I have a kid, a wife, and a lot of families live in the area. We have a lot of friends there. It has that neighborhood vibe, like Queens. You’ll see soccer teams eating sandwiches, kids and moms rushing to grab a quick dinner sandwich. It’s not as busy as this place, but it’s a really cool, family-friendly spot.

Angel: So Studio City is more of a neighborhood place?

Uncle Paulie: Exactly. It’s like that place where everybody knows your name. It has that kind of vibe.

Angel: And after Studio City?

Uncle Paulie: I opened a shop in Vegas at the Durango casino in Summerline about 20 mins from the strip. It’s been great, but it’s a whole different experience because it’s in a casino. It’s not your typical lunch rush, but Sundays are packed for the games and UFC events. It’s a fun, learning experience. Vegas is awesome and the regular customers are amazing.

Angel: Let’s talk about the menu. How did you develop it and how much did you personally contribute?

Uncle Paulie: I was 100% involved in the menu. I didn’t reinvent the wheel, but I took classic sandwiches I grew up eating at neighborhood butcher shops and sandwich shops and elevated them a bit. California has the best produce, so we get fresh ingredients and make everything from scratch. The menu itself hasn’t changed much. We do specials every couple of weeks, but the core menu is solid. We’ve got customers who make their own menu hacks, adding things to their sandwiches, which I love. It’s all about keeping it classic and solid—no over-the-top food trends here.

Angel: Tell me more about your background. Where are you from and how did that lead to this?

Uncle Paulie: I grew up in Flushing, Queens. I spent a lot of time hanging out at the pizza place, playing games like Cruisin’ USA and Bubble Bobble. I was a latchkey kid running around the neighborhood. My dad used to take me to the butcher shop, and I got to know all the guys there. Me and my friends would hang out at the sandwich shop, eating sandwiches at 4 a.m. on the hood of our cars. I wanted to recreate that experience here, where customers can come in, feel like family, and get the same sense of community. It’s a place where New Yorkers feel at home, whether it’s for the sandwiches or just the vibe. We’ve got people ordering giant subs for events like the Super Bowl or birthday parties.

Angel: You’re building a place with personality.

Uncle Paulie: Exactly. I wanted to create a spot where it feels like home, where you know the staff, and it’s more than just a deli. I wanted to give it that personal touch, a neighborhood place where people come in, chat, and feel comfortable.

Angel: Lastly, I want to touch on your charitable work with Children’s Hospital LA, Feed the Front Lines, Undefeated Foundation & LIFT Inc. charity, and more. Not something you’d expect from a deli.

Uncle Paulie: I’m really involved with the community. As a dad, Children’s Hospital is near and dear to my heart. I’ve had to take my kid there a few times, and the staff is amazing. We do events with them throughout the year, like Make March Matter, where we collaborate on a sandwich, and 100% of the proceeds go to the hospital. Undefeated Foundation & LIFT charity helps underprivileged families learn how to build credit, get jobs, and write resumes. We do a turkey drive with them every year, and other brands like Baby2Baby get involved, providing diapers and essentials to families who need help. I also support Feed the Front Lines. A lot of my family members are firefighters, and LA is home. When tragedies strike, I want to give back to the city that embraced me. We’ve donated food to evacuees, firefighters, and even volunteers helping with displaced animals. We dropped off sandwiches to a ranch that’s housing 200 horses displaced by the fires. It’s been tough, but we want to help in any way we can.

Angel: Respect, man. Thank you for doing this.

Uncle Paulie: Of course. Thank you for having me. Shout out SMART Crew!

This story was written for the release of Issue 10 of Living Proof Magazine. Now available on our Patreon and Online Shop.

photos: Justin Chung & Daryn Deluco