A Florida family has reunited in Denver at Capitol Hill’s newest sandwich shop, where an East Coast-style bacon-egg-and-cheese on an everything bagel and other breakfast items are served all day.
Jordan’s Deli debuted last month at 1035 Lincoln St., taking over a cafeteria-style counter last used by Melita’s Greek Cafe & Market. Jordan Spence, its 32-year-old owner and operator, moved from Kissimmee, Fla., five years ago and decided to launch after a short career in the service industry.
Spence said his reasons for selling breakfast bodega staples throughout the day are two-fold. “Being a night owl at heart, I would usually wake up later than most places serve breakfast,” he said.
But no such time limitations exist in New York and other cities, where Spence got his inspiration during visits. Back east, bagel shops, bodegas and delis are standard stops for a quick handheld breakfast or lunch that won’t break the bank.
“In New York and on the East Coast, this is kind of how it is,” he said. “It’s an all-day thing. It’s whenever you want it, we’ve got it.”
But the shop is more than just Spence. It’s a whole friends and family affair. His business partners are CJ Stevens, a pal who came with him from Florida, and his brother, Lenny Spence. His parents, too, sold their house in Florida and relocated.
His mother, Jo-Ann Spence, now joins her sons in the kitchen in the mornings to help them assemble meatballs for the meatball parmesan sub, Jordan said. Recipe specifics are a secret, but they consist of all beef and a simple mix of spices.
The menu sticks to the classics: Egg and cheese sandwiches come on either a bagel, toast, sourdough, a Kaiser roll or a croissant, with a choice of cheese, meat and egg. With meat, the sandwich is $10. (Without, $8.)
For lunch, which starts at 10 a.m., Jordan’s Deli features subs and heroes made on 8-inch Italian bread. Meatball parm, chicken parm, sausage and peppers, chicken tender, an Italian and a Reuben sandwich range from $11 to $15. Rounding off an order are sides including hash browns, fries, tater tops and chips.

Jordan’s Deli uses bagels from Colorado bakery Big Daddy Bagels and rolls from distributor Bluepoint Bakery, Jordan said.
His impetus to open the deli? “I just decided to take a chance on myself,” he said. “It was really, I think, just coming of age, maturing. Turning 32, realizing what I’m doing now is probably going to translate into my life, you know?”
After receiving the keys in September, the brothers renovated the interior, erecting a wooden counter around the kitchen. They dedicated a wall to portraits of family members who served in the U.S. armed forces, including Lenny and their father.
They finished by painting the base of the walls and an exterior wall facing northbound traffic a captivating shade of red.
The lights are on at Jordan’s Deli starting at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends.
That’s usually around that time when Jo-Ann and Jordan meet to make meatballs. “She says she loves to be here,” Jordan said. “I keep trying to tell her to relax and not do so many things.”
