Today’s LAT has a longish article on the decline and fall of the Jewish deli.
The article gives some reasons why the traditional deli is disappearing: health concerns, growing popularity and availability of ethnic food, the recession, and rising rents.
Art’s Deli owner Harold Ginsburg, 52, said he’s had to cut back on non-food items at the Studio City store: having fewer employees on call, trimming insurance costs and sending delivery cars to the cheapest gas stations.
What, was he sending cars to the most expensive gas stations when business was good?
But here’s what gets me: the second and third paragraphs of the article, describing customers lining up at the now closed Junior’s Deli:
…Brian Won’s main reaction was “meh.”
“The food was unremarkable,” said the West Los Angeles IT specialist, 32, who visited to use up a Groupon voucher. “Given that there are so many good places to eat in L.A., I have a really hard time saying yes to that.”
Wow, who would have thought selling unremarkable food in 2013 is no longer a license to print money?
And there’s a previous article about Junior’s linked from the sidebar of today’s:
The imminent closure of Junior’s Deli, a longtime Jewish eatery on the Westside, was the result of inexperienced ownership that exacerbated a rent dispute, according to the business’ landlord.
Apparently, the original owner died in 2011, and left the business to his two sons. The landlord claims that they had a good relationship with the original owner, and gave the deli ” several rent concessions during the recession”, even after the owner’s death.
The attorney said negotiations ground to a halt after the brothers made a “well-below market proposal” lower than their father’s rate.
Wow, who would have thought that wouldn’t be a successful negotiating strategy?