This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Johnny C’s Deli & Pasta is a family-owned Italian deli and pasta house in Kansas City’s East Bottoms (Northeast Industrial District), opened in 1992 by Johnny Caracci around his great-grandmother’s Italian family recipes and known for hearty Italian subs, homemade pasta, and weekday lunch catering.

Description

Johnny C’s Deli & Pasta is a family-owned and operated Italian deli in the East Bottoms industrial flats of Kansas City, Missouri, serving home-style Italian pasta dishes and deli sandwiches. The menu centers on Italian subs built from deli meats and cheeses on fresh-baked Italian bread, meatball sandwiches with house meatballs and marinara, and classic pasta plates such as spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna made with homemade sauces.123

The Kansas City storefront at 7012 Universal Ave runs a weekday lunch operation (Monday–Friday, roughly 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) catering to the surrounding Northeast Industrial District workforce, and the business is frequently cited in local lunch coverage as a go-to Italian spot.34 Beyond the dine-in/carryout counter, Johnny C’s offers catering for office lunches, holiday parties, at-home celebrations, and private events, building customized menus to budget.1

Ownership and history

Johnny C’s Deli & Pasta was opened in 1992 by Johnny Caracci, who built the business around his great-grandmother’s cherished Italian family recipes. By the company’s own account, Caracci grew up in his grandmother’s kitchen and opened the deli to recreate the food and the sense of family he knew as a child.1 The business has operated as a family-owned and family-run deli for over 30 years and presents itself as one of Kansas City’s go-to Italian delis.12

The current day-to-day ownership is described consistently as “family-owned and operated,” and Johnny Caracci is named as founder. The specific identities of any second-generation or co-owners beyond the founder are not detailed in available public sources.

A second location operates in Lawrence, Kansas (623 Vermont St Lower, Lawrence, KS 66044), with extended evening and weekend hours. This Registry page covers the Kansas City, MO original at 7012 Universal Ave.3

See also

  • Registry
  • east-bottoms

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Johnny C’s Deli & Pasta — official “About / Our Story” page (founder Johnny Caracci, 1992 founding, great-grandmother’s Italian recipes, family-owned for 30+ years, catering) — https://www.johnnycsdeli.com/about/ — accessed 2026-05-30 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. Yelp — “Johnny C’s Deli & Pasta of Kansas City,” 7012 Universal Ave, Kansas City, MO (deli category, reviews, signature Italian subs, active as of May 2026) — https://www.yelp.com/biz/johnny-cs-deli-and-pasta-of-kansas-city-kansas-city — accessed 2026-05-30 ↩ ↩2

  3. Johnny C’s Deli & Pasta — official “Contact” page (KC address 7012 Universal Ave, MO 64120, phone 816-483-3354, Mon–Fri 9–4; second location 623 Vermont St Lower, Lawrence, KS 66044) — https://www.johnnycsdeli.com/contact/ — accessed 2026-05-30 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Living Kansas City — “Johnny C’s Knows How To Please A Kansas City Lunch Crowd” (independent local lunch coverage) — http://livingkansascity.blogspot.com/2013/05/johnny-cs-knows-how-to-please-kansas.html — accessed 2026-05-30 ↩

See also

  • Registry
Categories
  • Locally owned
  • Italian
  • East Bottoms