In a village marked by empty storefronts, the Kensington Deli continues to thrive.
Kensington Deli owner Paul Saberito said he credits his delicatessen’s 40-year tenure in the Village of Great Neck to the service and unique product the store provides.
“We offer a specialty type of food that is not easily available and the quality of my product takes us to a level where there is very little competition,” Saberito said. “Supermarkets cannot duplicate what we do and very few specialty shops are like mine offering specifically kosher food.”
Originally opened in 1967, Kensington Deli moved to the old village from Kensington in 1975 after a fire destroyed the business.
Then-owner Oscar Rathaus approached Saberito to join as partners for the deli’s new location at 27A Middle Neck Road.
The two had a long history, Saberito said, as he began working for Rathaus at a Bayside deli when he was only 15 years old.
“That’s where I started learning about kosher food and the preparation of it,” he said. “I always enjoyed the food business.”
In 1998, Rathaus retired at the age of 73, leaving Saberito as the sole owner of the deli.
While businesses in the old village continue to struggle, Saberito said he remembers a time when store vacancies were a rarity.
He said Great Neck’s changing neighborhood and demographics over the years have impacted businesses.
Saberito added that stiffer business competition has also led to struggling businesses.
“It has something to do with the economy, competition, and the Internet. The whole retail market has changed because of those,” Saberito said. “The Costco’s and the BJ’s have hurt the mom and pop stores.”
In Kensington Deli’s case, he said, its product differs from other business’ products that would be effected by the changed market.
“I think my particular circumstances are because of the product that I offer. I don’t think it would correlate to any other place’s situation,” Saberito said. “I have a very specific product as opposed to someone who sells jeans or shirts that can easily be duplicated.”
Kensington Deli’s products, which Saberito said are a big reason why customers continue to come to his store, are mostly made on premises and are full kosher.
Two of their most popular items, he said, are their chicken cutlets and the “Paulie Special,” a specialty brisket served on a club roll with an au jus sauce, gravy, and horseradish sauce.
“We offer it in a way to people that appreciate it because the people that we serve have the ability to spend their money anywhere and they choose us,” Saberito said. “It’s been inspirational to serve the people of Great Neck.”
He also said he “owes a lot of the success to the professional staff,” including Phil Sutton, a manager at the deli for 38 years.
While times have changed, Kensington Deli has stuck to the same formula for it’s 40 year existence, Saberito said.
“We treat customers like we would want to be treated if the situation was reversed. We treat everyone as a friend. We establish long-term relationships,” he said. “We buy the best quality and we try to serve it in a proper, respectful manner and we treat everyone like we would like to be treated. And that’s the formula for why we’ve been here for 40 years.”
