Bureaucrates force the boro’s iconic Loeser’s Deli to close
BY JASON COHEN
A restaurant that has been an institution
in the Bronx for 60 years
was suddenly forced to close right
before Thanksgiving.
Loeser’s Deli, located at 214 W.
231st Street in Riverdale, had its
doors shuttered by the NYC Depart-
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D 8 ECEMBER 6-12, 2019 BTR
West 231st, which was renamed Loeser’s Deli
Place in October. Photo Courtesy Loeser’s Deli
Mayor Michael Bloomberg with Loeser’s Deli
Owner Fredy Loeser.
Photo Courtesy Loeser’s Deli
ment of Buildings on Thursday, November
14, when it said an Ansul
fire system valve was in the wrong
place.
“I’m 50 and in my lifetime I’ve
never seen the deli closed on Thanksgiving,”
said Pam Loeser Halpern,
one of the owners.
According to Abigail Kunitz, a
spokesman for the DOB, the department
received a complaint of ‘Gas
piping being installed in deli without
Permits’ at Bunny Deli II, 212 W. 231
Street, which is located in the same
commercial building as Loeser’s.
Several violations were found at
both businesses.
“Safety is always our top priority,”
Kunitz said. “Our inspectors
found illegal, unpermitted and potentially
dangerous gas work at this
location, which poses a fire hazard
to the building occupants and their
neighbors.
“We are in contact with the businesses
owners, and are providing
them with guidance on the permitting
and repair process to legalize
the gas plumbing system and restore
gas service,” he said.
Con Edison shut off the gas to the
Loeser’s and a couple days later, the
NYC Department of Health came by
and completely shut down the deli
because it lacked hot water.
Loeser Halpern said this came as a
total shock. She recalled how the deli
passed FDNY inspection every year,
so safety violations never crossed
her mind. But, when a DOB inspector
said everything was “okay” and
then returned seven hours later with
Con Edison, she was confused.
“We were baffled,” she said. She
noted that they asked him why it
took seven hours to determine this
and he gave no answer.
They contacted plumbers and discovered
it could cost roughly $100,000
to fix everything. The family also
learned there was a DOB ‘stop work
order’ on the building that dates
back to 1996.
“We’re out of luck and we’ve been
closed now for about two weeks,” she
exclaimed.
Her father, Fredy Loeser, used
his Bar Mitzvah money to open the
deli when he was 17 with his father,
Ernest who had escaped Nazi Germany.
The deli quickly grew to be the
place to go for delicious kosher food
and for many, felt like home. Over the
years, mayors Michael Bloomberg and
Ed Koch frequented the restaurant.
The family spans three generations
and all of them at some point
have worked in the deli.
In October, during a grand celebration,
West 231st Street and Godwin
Terrace, was renamed Loeser’s
Deli Place.
“Growing up my father was like a
super hero,” she said. “Loeser’s was
a like a sacred place.”
Many people have flooded social
media expressing sadness about the
situation and some have even offered
to start a GoFundMe to help raise
money.
However, Loeser Halpern explained
her dad is too humble to accept
financial help.
She said unless there’s a miracle,
she’s not sure what the future holds.