Rhino Market and Deli

What Rhino Market and Deli does

Rhino Market and Deli is a privately held, family-owned deli and neighborhood market founded in 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company operates 6 locations across the Charlotte metropolitan area: Wesley Heights (the original flagship at 1500 W. Morehead St.), Uptown/Downtown (400 S. Church St.), South End (1414 S. Tryon St.), NoDa (2320 N. Davidson St.), SouthPark (4300 Congress St.), and a 24-hour location at Charlotte Douglas International Airport near Concourse A gate A3. It serves local residents, downtown office workers, neighborhood visitors, and air travelers, offering a combined retail format where made-to-order deli food coexists with a curated market of locally sourced products.

The core product is handcrafted sandwiches and related deli items made with Boar's Head meats and cheeses, supported by a menu of more than 40 items spanning meatatarian, vegetarian, and vegan options, plus a Build Your Own customization flow for sandwiches, omelettes, and salads. Alongside prepared food, each location operates a retail market selling craft beer, wine, specialty coffee (sourced from Enderly Coffee, with rotating flavored coffee and Nitro Cold Brew on tap), baked goods, cheese, chocolates, and kombucha. Catering, physical gift cards in $10-$100 denominations, and online ordering through Uber Eats (all 5 retail locations) and ChowNow (SouthPark) extend the revenue surface beyond in-store counter transactions.

Rhino's revenue model is transaction-based across in-store purchases, takeaway, catering, gift cards, and third-party delivery (which carries commission fees). The company has no proprietary technology platform and relies on standard retail food-service operations, with digital ordering outsourced entirely to Uber Eats and ChowNow. It has been voted Best Market + Deli in Charlotte by Charlotte Magazine BOB Awards for six consecutive years (2020-2025) and has also received Best Sandwiches recognition from the Charlotte Observer and Best Lunch from Queen City Nerve. The company remains independently owned with no disclosed institutional backing, funding rounds, or M&A activity in the available record.

Name

Rhino Market and Deli

Legal name

Rhino Market & Deli

Website

https://rhinomarket.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rhino Market and Deli is a family-owned Charlotte, NC deli and neighborhood market operating 6 locations, offering made-to-order sandwiches, Build Your Own options, locally sourced market products, catering, and gift cards to local consumers and CLT airport travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Deli and Specialty Market

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic Grocery + Butcher/Bakery/Hot Bar (Integrated Service Counters) (CRAHAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Dietary Catering (Halal, Kosher, Vegan, Allergen-Free, Medical) (THAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Deli food service
• Neighborhood market
• Made-to-order sandwiches
• Specialty grocery retail
• Local food sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Deli and Food Service Sales: Core revenue from made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, salads, breakfast items, and soups prepared at each location. Menu features 40+ items including meatatarian and vegetarian options with build-your-own customization.
2. Market Retail: Retail sales of locally sourced products including craft beer, wine, specialty coffee, baked goods, cheese, chocolates, and kombucha.
3. Gift Cards: Physical gift cards sold in denominations of $10-$100, redeemable at all 5 locations. Free shipping on all gift card orders.
4. Catering: Catering menu available for events and group orders, expanding revenue beyond individual dine-in/takeout transactions.
5. Third-Party Delivery Commission: Online orders placed through Uber Eats and ChowNow platforms generate revenue with third-party commission fees deducted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rhino Market and Deli operates a neighborhood deli and market with 5 Charlotte-area locations plus a CLT airport store, offering made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, salads, breakfast items, and soups from a 40+ item menu that includes Build Your Own customization. Each location also functions as a specialty market selling locally sourced craft beer, wine, specialty coffee (Enderly Coffee), baked goods, cheese, chocolates, and kombucha, supplemented by catering services and physical gift cards.

Product overview

Rhino Market & Deli operates as a family-owned deli and market with 5 Charlotte-area locations, offering a unified portfolio centered on handcrafted deli sandwiches and fresh market products. The core offerings include over 40 deli sandwiches (meatatarian and vegetarian options) alongside a market featuring locally sourced craft beer, wine, specialty coffee, and baked goods. The portfolio extends through complementary services: Gift Cards (physical cards in $10-$100 denominations), Online Ordering (via Uber Eats and ChowNow), Catering Menu, and Build Your Own options for sandwiches, omelettes, and salads. The company has been operating since 2014 and was voted Best Market + Deli by Charlotte Magazine for six consecutive years (2020-2025).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deli Sandwiches and Made-to-Order Food

Quantifiable outcome

• 6 consecutive years voted Best Market + Deli in Charlotte by Charlotte Magazine BOB Awards

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Enderly CoffeecoreOthersLocal coffee roaster providing specialty coffee served hot and fresh daily at all Rhino Market locations. Also provides rotating flavored coffee and Nitro Cold Brew on tap throughout the week. Enderly Coffee is highlighted as a key local partner supporting the company's emphasis on locally sourced products.
• Boar's HeadcoreOthersPremium deli meat and cheese supplier providing products across all menu categories including Hot Italian Cappy Style Ham, Genoa Salami, Deluxe Ham, Lower Sodium Turkey, Pastrami Brisket, Corned Beef Brisket, Deluxe Roast Beef, and various cheeses including Sharp Wisconsin Cheddar, Provolone, and Cream Havarti.
• Uber EatsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery platform enabling online ordering for pickup and delivery at all 5 Rhino Market locations. Customers can order ahead through Uber Eats to avoid lines and pick up at their convenience.
• ChowNowminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlternative online ordering platform available for SouthPark location in addition to Uber Eats.
• Queen Charlotte's Pimento CheeseminorOthersLocal brand providing Pimento Cheese Royale product featured in the vegetarian menu section as a hot or cold sandwich option.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Honeygrow: Fast-casual chain focused on customizable salads, stir-fry, and sandwiches with locally sourced ingredients. Comparable to Rhino on the BYO customization model and the locally sourced brand positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Subway: Largest global sandwich franchise and the dominant mass-market competitor for lunch sandwich occasions. Broad comparable as the standard-setter against which any neighborhood deli like Rhino must differentiate.
• Whole Foods Market: National specialty grocer with strong prepared-foods, deli counter, and local-sourcing emphasis. Comparable to Rhino's market side (curated beer/wine/coffee/grocery) and prepared deli foods, but at much larger format.
• Panera Bread: Large bakery-cafe chain with soups, salads, and made-to-order sandwiches plus grocery items at retail. Overlaps with Rhino on the sandwich + curated pantry side of the business, but at much greater scale and with a national supply chain.
• Publix Super Markets: Large regional grocer (notably present in the Southeast) with a strong in-store deli and prepared-foods program. Comparable to Rhino as a competitor for the prepared-foods and deli counter customer and as a regional benchmark for Charlotte-area grocery expansion.

Direct peers

• Firehouse Subs: Specialty sandwich franchise centered on premium meats and toasted subs. Comparable to Rhino's premium deli positioning (Boar's Head meats, signature combinations) for the same customer demographic.
• Potbelly Sandwich Works: National specialty deli chain serving made-to-order sandwiches, salads, and sides in a market-style counter format. Closest multi-unit direct peer: comparable neighborhood-store footprint, made-to-order customization, and integrated deli + retail concept versus Rhino Market & Deli.
• Which Wich Superior Sandwiches: Sandwich-focused chain built entirely on customizable made-to-order orders. Compares to Rhino on the build-your-own menu model and multi-location footprint serving lunch traffic in mixed-use neighborhoods.
• HoneyBaked Ham Cafe & Deli: Specialty retail/deli concept selling prepared meats, sandwiches, and catering. Closely comparable to Rhino on retail deli + prepared foods + catering menu mix and on the premium prepared-meat identity.
• Jimmy John's: National sandwich franchise with delivery and pickup at the neighborhood level. Comparable to Rhino as a competing sandwich option for the same Charlotte lunch and on-the-go customer base, particularly through Uber Eats.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rhinomarketanddeli
• Instagraminstagram.com/rhinomarketclt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhino Market and Deli