Jewish Delis Declining in New York City and Across United States

Jewish Delis are facing closures in New York City and Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times reported.

Always the popular go-to for the bagels and lox, many of the Jewish Delicatessens are operating in a time where younger clientele can find those bagels anywhere and communities are become more aware of what they eat.

"People don't open up new delis anymore because it's very, very difficult to do," said Marian Levine, owner of Stage's longtime rival, Carnegie Deli in Manhattan.

Several delis like the Stage Deli in Manhattan and Ashkenaz Delicatessin in Chicago closed and were replaced with places like a lobster joint after struggling to keep up with a dwindling veteran population and high rent.

According to The Times, thousands of Jewish delis in New York arose in the first half of the 20^th Century, and began to decline to mere dozens after World War II from a shift in demographics into suburbs and decline in Jewish immigration to the region. 

"There's nothing that can bring back the centrality of the deli in either Jewish life or American life," said Ted Merwin, the author of a impending book , "Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Delicatessen" and Judaic studies professor at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. "There's no way they're going to survive in the numbers they once did."

According to Mintel, an agency providing statistics on food, drinks and consumer goods, the sales stalled between 2007 and 2011 for the restaurants then only rose 0.5 percent in 2012, reported The Times.

The rise in costs of food, particularly beef and fish, also compounded to the problem.  Even raising menu prices could not compensate for the loss. 

Merwin finds part of the problem is the thousands of options that are available today surrounding the Jewish scene. You can get cheaper sandwiches at popular chains like Quiznos.  A loyal customer base is no longer driving the troubled sit-down restaurant market.