Joshua Dat put everything he had into a family deli in Hollis, Queens — and a happy accident in the kitchen changed the trajectory of his life.
The story of Datz Deli is one of immigrant grit, family loyalty, and the kind of creative instinct that cannot be taught in a classroom. What started as a struggling neighborhood eatery has grown into one of New York City’s most talked-about food destinations, driven by a menu item that Dat invented on the spot one night when he ran out of cheese slices.
From Life Savings to Rodent Infestation
Joshua Dat invested his life savings to open Datz Deli in Queens with his father. The dream had been years in the making. Dat is proud of his Guyanese heritage and saw an opportunity to elevate knowledge and appreciation of his culture through his father’s cooking. His dad had been a Caribbean chef in restaurants across Queens, experiencing what Dat described as a career full of “broken dreams.”
At 17, Dat made his father a promise: they would open a store together one day. By the time he turned 29, he had saved enough to make good on that promise. The two opened Datz Deli at 190-01 Hollis Avenue in Queens, named in honor of the family.
The early days were rough. The business struggled at first. Dat discovered the place was infested with rodents when he came in one morning and found half of his food supply eaten. Revenue was barely enough to stay open. The business was at a point where it was only bringing in $200 a day. Dat tried attracting customers with new creations — chopped cheeses on butter bread, roti burritos — but nothing clicked.
The Accident That Changed Everything
The turning point came during a late closing shift. One night when they were closing down, Dat was making a beef patty with cheese but all the cheese had gone to the mac and cheese. He saw the mac and cheese and threw it into the sandwich. The moment he went to cut the sandwich open, he shut it closed because it looked so good. He called out for his sister to record him showing off the sandwich so they could post it on Instagram — and he was right that it had the potential to go viral. The video had customers coming in just to try the sandwich.
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Then a customer pushed it even further. “One day, a girl came in and asked for oxtail gravy on the mac and cheese patty, and that’s what made me say, ‘Now we’re going to put oxtail, jerk, and everything on a sandwich,'” Joshua said.
The result became the Dat Mac Patty — a Jamaican beef patty cut open and stacked with macaroni and cheese and braised oxtail, then sealed back up and cradled inside a sweet loaf of Jamaican coco bread. Variants with jerk chicken, goat curry, and salt fish followed. One particular video led to 30 million views, and demand eventually led to customers lining up outside the deli before it was even open.
A Family Operation at Full Stride
Datz Deli was never just a business — it was a family production from day one. Dat’s mother rings customers up. His aunt makes and drops off fresh beef patties and coco bread daily. His sister makes unique desserts. His father, Bobbi, is the secret weapon and inspiration behind the deli.
Today, the family runs two Datz Deli locations — the original in Queens and another in Manhattan. Each brings in between $1,000 to $4,000 a day, and Dat is looking to open a third location.
The growth has been a source of deep personal pride for the entire Dat family. Growing up, Joshua watched his mother struggle to keep the lights on and put food on the table. He made a promise early in life that no one in his family would have to live that way again. The success of Datz Deli has made good on that promise.
What Datz Deli Represents for Queens
Datz Deli has received a mention in The New York Times and drawn food enthusiasts from across the country and internationally. On most days, the line at Datz Deli goes around the block.
For Dat, the business is about more than revenue. He wanted people to know more about Guyanese culture, the food, and where it comes from. In a city known for its culinary diversity, Datz Deli has managed to introduce an entire cuisine to a new generation of New Yorkers — one viral sandwich at a time.
“If anyone cares about their family, I feel like this is the dream,” Dat said. “I have my whole family here with me. We’re not the richest people in the world, but we’re all taken care of, we’re good, there’s nothing we want, and we’re all together.”
