Gourmet Gang, the Hampton Roads deli and catering chain founded in 1991, is opening its first-ever Suffolk location this fall at 1701 Bridgeport Way, beside the 7-Eleven. It will be the bistro-style restaurant's seventh location overall and the chain's first in Suffolk.
The company made the announcement in a social media post on September 29, telling followers, “Suffolk, we are coming for you. New location coming in fall 2026!” according to WAVY.com. The post drew hundreds of comments from excited locals, and the station reports that Gourmet Gang has not yet announced an exact opening date. When asked how it landed the Bridgeport Way parcel, the company replied that the site “was originally built for another company, but they did not go through with it, so we picked the location up!”
The Suffolk property itself comes with some built-in advantages. The 0.55-acre outparcel sits at the main signalized entrance to the Bridgeport development and carries an approved site plan for a drive-thru building facing Bridge Road, a stretch of Route 17 that sees roughly 40,000 vehicles pass each day, per LoopNet listing data. Whether Gourmet Gang will make use of the drive-thru component remains unclear, as the chain has not detailed its exact buildout plans for the site.
A Growing Live-Work-Play District
Bridgeport Suffolk is a 52-acre, Class A mixed-use development less than a mile from Interstate 664, designed as a walkable commercial district blending retail, office, medical, and residential space, according to the property's own leasing materials. Gourmet Gang will join the development.
The development's residential base gives the new deli a built-in customer pool. More than 720 multi-family units sit at Bridgeport. The Virginia Apartment Management Association named 3800 Acqua Luxury Apartments Mixed-Use Community of the Year in both 2023 and 2025, according to the apartment community's own materials.
The Bridgeport Suffolk business directory has already added the new Gourmet Gang listing to its website, per the station's report.
Gourmet Gang’s Corporate Affiliation
Gourmet Gang's roots trace back to 1991, and the Virginia Tourism profile identifies Michella Guinan as the business's owner, according to Virginia Tourism. The profile says the business grew from a door-to-door sandwich vendor into deli restaurants and a catering business.
Gourmet Gang became affiliated with Trolley Hospitality Companies in October 2024.
The Suffolk opening will bring the chain to seven locations, from six across Hampton Roads and Richmond, per the station's account.
Hiring Underway, Wages Detailed
Recruitment listings posted in late September for the new Bridge Rd Deli site show deli associate positions, according to job postings reviewed on Teal. Staff roles include food preparation and customer service, along with opportunities to train for the company's corporate catering events, the listings indicate.
At its existing locations, Gourmet Gang offers online ordering, in-store service, and catering, the company's station-reported rundown shows. Hours vary by site: the Chesapeake location at 109 Volvo Pkwy., the Norfolk location at 6000 Robin Hood Rd., the downtown Norfolk spot at 482 Main St., and the Virginia Beach location at 4429 Bonney Rd. all run Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., while a second Virginia Beach location at 2701 N Mall Dr., Suite 107, stays open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Suffolk expansion also lands amid broader economic momentum in the area. The City of Suffolk's employment base has grown at three times the national average, with no single industry accounting for more than 8.6% of local jobs, according to LoopNet's commercial development data.
