That Little Sandwich Shop

photo by shane darby

Julie’s Deli has fed Texarkanians for 30 years
By Jaime Knighton

If you have been in Texarkana for any length of time, odds are you are familiar with Julie’s Deli, located in Summerhill Square. Even if you have never stepped inside the longtime local staple, you probably know where it is—and you may even know some of the items on the menu. Over the years, Julie’s has simply become a part of life here for residents and visitors alike. 

Thirty years ago, Julie’s Deli was just a little sandwich shop and a dream. 

Julie is pictured here with Susan Mervish, Ashley Weems, Jennifer Tanner, and Kim Mulcahy-Krantz. submitted photo

Julie Furlow opened the doors that year after spending more than 11 years as a teacher and coach. She could not have known then that the small business she envisioned would grow into the restaurant, bakery, market, catering operation, take-home meal business, and food truck that generations of Texarkana customers know today. 

Rick Rowe of KTBS interviewed Julie in 2021 for his “Tasty Tuesday” segment. submitted photo

When Julie was a young child, her grandparents owned a small mom-and-pop country store. “I can remember being five, six, seven years old, spending time with them, going to the store, my grandmother having me stand in a chair to reach the cash register, teaching me how to ring customers up and how to give change back,” she recalled. She knew she wanted to have a business of her own one day. 

Both of her grandmothers were excellent cooks, and even now, Julie’s mother still cooks Sunday lunch for the family about twice a month. Being in the kitchen has always been a part of their family life. 

Brittany Weeks, Julie, Jennifer Tanner, and Kat Stone are pictured here in the main dining room. submitted photo

Julie’s original dream was to open a little sandwich shop. She spoke of it as far back as the late 1980s, after making sandwiches for friends who encouraged her to open a restaurant. She finally opened the deli in 1996. Ten years later, she hired Jennifer Tanner, who helped her expand.

“We were both young and crazy, and we wanted to try everything,” Julie said. “It was a lot of fun.” 

Customers brought in recipes for soups, casseroles, cakes, and other desserts, some of which Julie and Jennifer added to the menu. Many of the recipes came from Julie’s family, while others were developed by staff over the years. Jennifer is credited with coming up with many of them, but it was Beth Smith who found the recipe for the famous white chocolate strawberry cake, which has become such a favorite that Julie has heard many locals call it “Texarkana’s cake.” 

The Julie’s Deli food trailer serves customers at both public and private events. Pictured outside the trailer are Charles Daugherty, Glenn Grimes, Cole Grimes, and Julie. submitted photo

“The 1996 Julie would just be totally amazed [at the current business] because I thought I was just opening a little sandwich shop,” Julie said. “But, you know, it blew up, and it’s been so much fun, and it’s brought me a lot of joy.” 

After all these years, Julie still steps in wherever she is needed, whether that means helping the cashiers, working with the food truck or catering, or jumping into the kitchen when things get busy. Although she admits she doesn’t have quite the energy she used to, she still has the same love for it all. There is, however, one job she leaves to someone else: decorating cakes. 

The famous white chocolate strawberry cake at Julie’s has become known locally as “Texarkana’s cake.” submitted photo

“I can do everything but decorate a cake,” she said. “That is just a special skill I do not possess.”

Take-home meals have become a big part of what Julie’s is known for, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Julie said this evolved over the years and wasn’t necessarily in the plans. Through the catering side of the business, people started asking for certain things. Before long, Julie’s began doing complete holiday meals. 

photo by shane darby

Julie described the holiday season as “controlled chaos.”

“We feed hundreds of families during the holidays,” she said. “It’s very humbling to know that you’re helping out so many people so they can really enjoy their family time during the holidays and not have to spend the entire holiday cooking, prepping, cleaning, and all of that.”

Her customers are not the only people Julie aims to feed. For over 20 years, she has served on the board of Harvest Regional Food Bank.

Back row: Darlene Taylor, B. Green, Kyndra Rhodes, Brian Martin, Brittany Weeks, Beth Horvatin, and Abby Sanders. Middle row: Jennifer Tanner, Susan Eager, Liz Beasley, Liz Peavy, Letha Delaughter, and Brandee Page. Front row: Kat Stone, Colyn Grimes McKee, Julie, and Brooke Cotseones. submitted photo

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” she said. “I’m surrounded by food all day, so it’s important to me to support an organization that reaches so many people, and Harvest Regional Food Bank does that.”

Julie also feels strongly about serving her employees, for whom she has offered tuition reimbursement and paid time-off for full-time staff.

“If your employees are happy, they’ll make your customers happy,” she said. “That’s a philosophy that I hold on to.” 

Her staff aside, Julie said that her family has been the heart and soul of the business from the beginning. “I would not have been able to do everything I’ve done without the support of my family,” she shared. “They’ve sacrificed at times so that we could keep the Julie’s dream going. It’s kind of in our blood, and now I’ve got my nephew, and he’ll be the next one to take over the business.”

Although she is never really “off the clock,” Julie enjoys traveling throughout Arkansas; when she is away, she is looking for ways to learn and grow her own business. Even now, new ideas continue to present themselves. After thinking the food trailer might be her last big venture, the deli is now expanding into vending machines at plants that operate around-the-clock. 

After 30 years, Julie still enjoys going to the deli every day. Sometimes she only works four days a week or may work shorter days, but she said that she still loves being around her employees and customers. She especially values seeing customers who first came through the doors when the deli opened 30 years ago, now dining in with their children and grandchildren. 

Julie said she “would not have been able to do everything” without her family: Cole Grimes, WT Grimes, Aubrey Grimes, Jan Wilson, Julie, Josie McKee, Sandra Furlow, Kynlee McKee, Colyn McKee, Sherry Grimes, and Glenn Grimes. submitted photo

When Julie looks back on it all, she hopes people will remember her for being “a giver and not just a taker,” she said. And if Julie of 2026 could sit down with the Julie who opened that little sandwich shop in 1996, what would she say? “Hang on, sister. This is gonna be a wild ride!”