Known for its stacked sandwiches, Morucci’s Deli is preparing to expand with a new location at 236 Golf Club Road, in Pleasant Hill. A second Bay Area site in Orinda is also in early planning stages, said owner Terrance Heaps to WhatNow.
Founded more than three decades ago, Morucci’s has built a reputation as one of the Bay Area’s go-to sandwich shops, featuring Italian subs, roasted turkey sandwiches, hot pastrami, tri-tip, salads, breakfast items, and house-made dressings.
Terrance confirmed to WhatNow that, rather than replicating the original deli format exactly, the new Pleasant Hill location will introduce a combined concept, pairing Heaps’ coffee brand, Lever Coffee, with Morucci’s inside a shared space with clearly separated identities.
Instead of altering the food offering, the operator is focusing on operational upgrades and expansion logistics.
“All we’ve done is put in a POS system and turned on online ordering, just bringing it to a more modern operational backend.”
The expansion strategy is also intentionally measured, with a focus on spacing out locations to avoid over-saturation.
“We’re trying to be thoughtful about the neighborhoods we go into,” Heaps said. “If we have an opportunity to move into something closer, we think about how we adjust the brand approach for that location.”
Despite growth plans, the original Walnut Creek shop at 1218 Boulevard Way will remain the flagship, continuing to serve long-time favorites like the popular No. 5 California Club, layered with turkey, Swiss, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, and house-made ranch on a Semifreddi’s ciabatta roll.
“We don’t want to cannibalize what already works,” Heaps added. “We want to protect the experience.”
