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UPDATE: This story was updated at 8:15 on Wednesday, Sept. 3

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article mispelled the street name of the first Brooklyn Pickle storefront. It is on Burnet Avenue. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

With five new stores opening in the past two and a half years, it’s clear Brooklyn Pickle is doing something right.

“Our mission statement is to serve the freshest products with the least amount of time in the most pleasant manner,” Regional Manager Ashley Carpelli said. “We give great service and we do it with a smile. I don’t think you really get that anywhere else.”

Brooklyn Pickle opened its newest location on Marshall Street on Monday, Aug. 18, a week before the Syracuse University fall semester began. For over five decades, Brooklyn Pickle has served classic, fresh deli-style sandwiches.

Construction on the former Jimmy John’s space took several months before doors opened in late August, owner Craig Kowadla said. Kowadla, who has been Brooklyn Pickle’s owner for 24 years, said the opening process was smooth, a “rare” occurrence for him, crediting it to the close-knit Marshall Street team.

Brooklyn Pickle’s sandwiches have stayed mostly the same over its 50 years in business. Popular orders like turkey, tuna and Italian subs are now available on Marshall Street. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer

Unlike other locations, the Marshall Street store tends to cater to SU students, faculty and Upstate University Hospital doctors and nurses.

“ I’ve always been intrigued by Marshall Street. As a kid, it was always a hot spot because of the University and the sports and I wanted to get into a different market,” Kowadla said. “It’s alive up here and there’s a nice buzz around us.”

For SU sophomores Amelia Kleinert, Sofia Gossweiler and Rachel Henning, Brooklyn Pickle has been a refreshing food option around campus. With the restaurant’s diverse menu and efficient service, Brooklyn Pickle has become a quick come-and-go spot for the three friends.

“Brooklyn Pickle has been a very great lunch spot for us especially during the weekends because  we don’t get offered lunch on Saturday or Sunday for our (sorority) house,” Henning said. “So far, it’s been a good alternative.”

Throughout 50 years of existence, Brooklyn Pickle’s sandwiches have mostly remained the same, often switching up its sides and desserts instead. A testament to the restaurant’s long-lasting menu, customers have a plethora of options to choose from at the new Marshall Street location.

Under Kowadla, Brooklyn Pickle continued to expand throughout Syracuse and even made headway in North Carolina with three storefronts. His latest venture was opening Brooklyn Pickle’s eighth store in the heart of Syracuse.

Brooklyn Pickle has seen many of its staff stick around long-term because of the relationships they’ve formed at work, creating a true familial charm in the restaurant. A wallpaper featuring Kowadla’s sons is on the side of the main counter.

Ken Sniper first opened the popular Syracuse eatery in 1975. As a child, Sniper and his siblings often visited his mother’s home in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, where big pickle barrels were commonly seen on the street. Inspired by the barrels and the pickle taste, Sniper opened his first establishment on Burney Avenue.

The new Marshall Street location opens up a fresh customer base for Brooklyn Pickle. Syracuse University students and Upstate Hospital employees are the target audience for the sandwich shop. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer

The original establishment was small. With only a 13-by-25-feet space to work with, Sniper quickly opened his second location in the Byrne Dairy Building. For over 26 years, Sniper focused on the store’s logistics, from perfecting the menu to familiarizing his staff with the store’s mission statement, before current owner and Sniper’s family friend Kowadla took over in 2001.

“ He started talking about selling the business and I said, ‘What if I came to work for you rather than selling (the business) to a ‘Joe Smith,’” Kowadla said. “I learned how the business operated and it worked. He’s like a father figure to me.”

Brooklyn Pickle’s family-oriented values allowed Carpelli to become regional manager in 2023. She started working at the Pickle as a temporary, high school job in 2009. Over her 14 years at Brooklyn Pickle, Carpelli has sometimes spent more time with her co-workers than at home. With how many hours she’s put into the Brooklyn Pickle, Carpelli said she’s seen the store’s atmosphere thrive.

For Kleinert, Gossweiler and Henning, the restaurant’s best sellers were the picks of the day: turkey, tuna and Italian subs. Carpelli personally recommends the Cajun turkey with bacon, but when asked what his favorite Brooklyn Pickle sandwich is, Kowadla admits to not being a big sandwich fan.

“ In all honesty, I don’t really have a whole lot of sandwiches. If I eat a sandwich, it’s going to be peanut butter jelly,” Kowadla said. “Everyone laughs at me about it, but that’s the way it is.”

Published on September 1, 2025 at 8:24 pm