You can order your Mike’s Deluxe inside once more at popular 6th Avenue sandwich shop

The magical makers at one of Tacoma’s most popular sandwich shops now work in a bigger kitchen, and customers have more room to order and wait for their Mike’s Deluxe.

MSM Deli, serving meals between-bread since 1983, reopened its “refreshed” lobby to customers July 5 for the first time since early 2020.

If you’re someone who enjoyed the walk-up window, sorry to say — it’s gone. Patio seating has returned on that concrete pad. Once again, you order at a counter, albeit one that’s new and in a slightly different place than it was way back when.

“It’s a little bit of a different layout,” said owner Jamal Muthala, “but same process that it was for 37 years or so before the pandemic.”

The remodel, which Muthala prefers to call a “refresh,” began two years or so ago. Supply-chain issues in particular slowed the pace, he said, pointing to the fresh countertop that doubles as a cooler. It was on a six-month back order when they purchased it but arrived damaged, so they had to send it back and wait again, he told The News Tribune in a phone call Friday afternoon.

“I thought we’d be open last summer!” he laughed. “I don’t know if you’ve ever remodeled, but… they’re never as straightforward as you’d expect. In the end, I think it was really worth it.”

The goal, he explained, was to bring some new life into a space that had seen some 40 years of wear and tear. While much affection exists for the blue-and-white linoleum floor tiles, for instance, “they were beat up pretty good,” said Muthala. Fear not: They have been replaced with the same colors and pattern, just new versions. The exterior was also painted, along with some of the interior walls.

In a sense, the space was never really equipped to handle the amount of sandwich business MSM has amassed over the years.

“This location goes back even further than us,” said Muthala, noting an auto shop and car wash in the back at various points in the building’s history.

At some point in late 2021 or early 2022 — these years have a been a blur, he joked — they realized they had “an opportunity that we’ve never had before, ever, while still being in business.” They could refresh while slinging sandwiches from the walk-up window.

“I really felt like I was walking a tightrope of: I wanted to improve our space, make it more efficient, clean it up a bit. But I also didn’t want to kill the vibe. We’ve been here since ‘83 — a lot of people have grown up around here, including myself. I didn’t necessarily want to change anything; I just wanted to freshen it up a bit.

“Really, in the grand scheme of things, we took out some candy aisles,” he summarized, which, in turn, opened up the ordering area and the kitchen.

Next time you need your fix, you can walk right through that door, then enjoy your sandwich at one of a few tables inside or out.

MSM DELI

▪ 2220 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-4814, facebook.com

▪ Daily 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

▪ Details: iconic Tacoma sandwich shop with refreshed interior, order in-person or by phone

This story was originally published July 8, 2023 at 7:05 AM.