Not so 'Li'l' anymore: Audrey's Market and Deli opens in Swansea

SWANSEA — Li'l Audrey's is finally growing up.

This Friday, the longtime Somerset convenience store will be debuting its second location at 395 Wilbur Ave. — a familiar spot that served as a home for Li'l Audrey's over a decade ago.

According to owner Don Caron, the Swansea location opening June 28 will feature "much of the same as the existing store, just expanded."

And in staying true to this new, larger space and its expanded offerings, they've dropped the "Li'l" in the Somerset shop's well-known moniker with the launch of Audrey's Market and Deli.

Aside from their official sign — featuring a fresh, new logo — now installed, the Wilbur Avenue building might not look very different from the outside. But inside the building, which most recently housed No Joke Smoke Saucery, changes are happening.

"It's coming together," Caron said in a recent interview.

Li'l Audrey's is about to get bigger: See what's planned for its new Swansea location

Now in the home stretch, Caron and his team have been busy putting finishing touches on the new space — which will feature a newly updated kitchen with brand-new equipment, updated interior, new fixtures and deli cases.

Tim Hickey will serve as general manager of the Swansea store, and Caron's sister Colleen Santos will oversee food service and the kitchen.

Audrey's keeping it 'local and fresh'

At this new Audrey's iteration you'll find all of your Somerset favorites and then some, with an emphasis on "local and fresh," as their new logo states.

Audrey's Market and Deli will carry general grocery items, but the focus will be more "food driven," Caron said.

The menu will feature made-to-order deli sandwiches, sliced deli meats to go, and an expanded pastry selection.

An exciting perk of the Swansea spot, with a kitchen five times bigger than their existing kitchen, is the ability to offer a wider variety of prepared, hot meals, which have proven very popular at their Somerset store.

This includes everything from French meat pies to stuffed quahogs, lasagna casserole, meatloaf dinner, Mozambique mac and cheese with chourico, and, of course, their famous ready-to-cook clam boils.

Some fare they don't currently offer in Somerset because there was "not enough kitchen" that you will now find in Swansea are items such as fish and chips, fried chicken, fried clams, and hamburgers to order.

Also, with a building twice the size as 1159 Read St., Somerset, the Swansea location can also accommodate 10-12 seats for dine-in customers.

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When will it open

Audrey's Market and Deli will welcome its first customers with a soft opening Friday, June 28, then ramp up to a grand opening around early July. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the start.

"Everybody's excited, we're excited," Caron said.

Work is underway on a new website, which will highlight the menu and offerings at both Audrey's locations, as well as a new Facebook page. However, those likely won't be ready at launch, Caron said.

Those with questions about Audrey's Market and Deli can contact the Wilbur Avenue shop at 774-704-5096.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Somerset's popular Li'l Audrey's ready to open second location in Swansea