Elie Kelly: Building community through River Rock Deli
Elie Kelly, a member of Elsipogtog First Nation, and the owner of River Rock Deli, located in Elsipogtog, New Brunswick, is creating more than a pop up deli. He is bringing fresh, thoughtfully prepared food to his community while creating a welcoming experience for people looking for alternatives to traditional deep fried meals, pizza, and subs. Through River Rock Deli, Elie is building a business rooted in good food, pride, and a desire to help people feel better about the choices they make.
River Rock Deli began as a pop up in early June, offering grilled sandwiches with no deep fried items. Elie and his team prepare their ingredients themselves, from slicing and dicing to mixing their own mayos and mustards. The focus is on creating delicious food with care, experience, and a sense of pride. As word continues to spread, customers have started asking about catering, creating new opportunities for the growing business.
Elie has a clear vision for the future of River Rock Deli. His goal is to establish a permanent deli offering meats, cheeses, and a full deli counter. This winter, he also plans to introduce hot Sunday dinners and prepared meals that customers can bake at home. He is also exploring ways to offer catering while continuing to grow the business within the resources available to him.
For Elie, River Rock Deli is about more than selling food. He wants to provide his community with better options while creating opportunities for people to learn and connect. He plans to offer cooking on a budget classes and invite Elders to share their knowledge. These plans reflect his belief that food can bring people together while creating opportunities to share skills and knowledge across generations.
Elie knows that offering popular deep fried foods could increase sales, but he has chosen to take a different path. “If I was to offer poutine or french fries, my sales would triple no doubt,” he explains. Instead, he wants to provide food for people who are looking for something different and hoping to make healthier choices. For Elie, the food does not have to be perfect to make a difference. It is made with love, experience, and pride.
Elie chose to apply to Pow Wow Pitch because he needed support and resources to help move his business forward. He believes River Rock Deli can become a staple in his community and eventually reach others as the business grows. One of the highlights of the experience has been being surrounded by other people pursuing their own dreams. The positive energy, connections, and conversations have reinforced his belief in what he is building.
Through Pow Wow Pitch and his entrepreneurial journey, Elie has also made valuable connections and found that people are talking positively about River Rock Deli. For Elie, simply being accepted into the program and having others recognize what he is doing has already been a meaningful achievement. The encouragement has helped him see that the business has the potential to grow beyond its beginnings as a small pop up.
Elie remembers an early mentor who gave him the courage to put his idea out there and take the first step. That encouragement has stayed with him as he continues building River Rock Deli and navigating the challenges that come with starting a business.
Elie offers this advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: “Plan your steps carefully but decisively.” He acknowledges that there will always be people who doubt your ideas, and sometimes the loudest doubter can be yourself. When doubt or negativity appears, he encourages entrepreneurs to do the opposite by writing down more ideas, plans, and possibilities. For Elie, the key is “to keep moving forward, learn from every experience, and leave room for there to be a next time.”
The journey has not been easy. Elie describes it as long, difficult, and at times almost impossible. But he believes the biggest obstacle can sometimes be yourself. By continuing to take steps forward and turning challenges into lessons, he is creating a path for River Rock Deli to become a lasting part of the community.
With River Rock Deli, Elie is showing how a small idea can grow into something meaningful. Through good food, community connection, learning, healing, and determination, he is building more than a deli. He is creating a place where people can enjoy food made with care, discover new options, and feel a sense of pride in supporting a local dream.
Watch Elie as he pitches River Rock Deli in the Startup category airing on September 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM ET. Click here to see all episodes: powwowpitch.org/episode.