Learn About Katz's Delicatessen New York History

The Founding and Early Years of Katz's Delicatessen

Katz's Delicatessen opened its doors in 1888 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, making it one of New York City's oldest continuously operating food establishments. The delicatessen was founded by the Katz family, who immigrated to New York and established their shop at 205 East Houston Street, where it remains today. During the late 1800s, the Lower East Side was a thriving immigrant neighborhood, particularly home to Jewish, Italian, and Eastern European communities seeking work and new opportunities in America. The Katz family recognized a demand for traditional delicatessen foods that reflected the culinary heritage of these communities.

In its earliest decades, Katz's served as more than just a place to purchase food—it functioned as a cultural center and gathering place for immigrants. The delicatessen offered familiar foods from the old country, providing comfort and connection to home for people adjusting to life in a new nation. The shop specialized in cured meats, particularly pastrami and corned beef, prepared according to traditional Jewish delicatessen methods. These products required specific skills and knowledge passed down through generations, and Katz's became known for maintaining authentic recipes and preparation techniques.

The location on Houston Street proved strategically important to the business's success. The Lower East Side was densely populated and served as a hub of commerce, with many small businesses and tenement housing packed into the neighborhood. Foot traffic was constant, and the delicatessen's proximity to theaters, shops, and workplaces made it a convenient stop for locals. By the early 1900s, Katz's had established itself as a respected institution in the neighborhood, known for quality products and fair pricing.

The delicatessen's early menu reflected the needs and preferences of working-class immigrants. Items were affordable yet filling, designed to provide sustenance for people engaged in physical labor. The business model emphasized volume sales and efficiency, with quick service for customers who needed to eat and return to work. This practical approach to food service helped Katz's build a loyal customer base that would sustain the business through decades of change in New York City.

Practical Takeaway: Understanding Katz's founding context reveals how immigrant communities shaped New York's food culture. The delicatessen's success stemmed from meeting real community needs with quality products and accessible pricing—a model that proved sustainable across generations.

The Pastrami and Corned Beef Legacy

Katz's became famous throughout New York for its pastrami and corned beef, products that define Jewish delicatessen cuisine. Pastrami, a cured and smoked meat typically made from beef brisket, arrived in America with Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe and Romania. The preparation of pastrami involves a complex process: beef brisket is first cured in a salt brine with spices, then rinsed and coated with cracked peppercorns and other seasonings, and finally smoked and steamed. Corned beef follows a similar curing process but without the smoking step. Both meats were popular among working-class immigrants because they were affordable, flavorful, and could be stored without refrigeration for extended periods.

At Katz's, these meats are hand-sliced to order, a practice that distinguishes the delicatessen from mass-produced alternatives. A skilled carver uses a sharp knife to cut thin, consistent slices from the prepared meat, ensuring optimal texture and flavor. The hand-slicing process takes more time than automated methods, but produces superior results. The meat is then typically served on rye bread with mustard, pickle, and sometimes tomato or onion. The quality of the meat, the skill of the carver, and the freshness of the bread all contribute to what customers consider an authentic Katz's sandwich.

The recipes and techniques used at Katz's have remained relatively consistent since the delicatessen's early years, though exact details are closely guarded trade secrets. The specific combination of spices used in the curing brine, the duration of smoking, and the temperature at which meats are steamed all affect the final flavor. These variables are controlled carefully to maintain consistency with what customers have come to expect from the delicatessen. Over more than a century of operation, Katz's has refined these processes through constant practice and adjustment.

The reputation of Katz's pastrami and corned beef contributed significantly to the delicatessen's longevity. Food historians and culinary experts often cite Katz's as among the finest practitioners of traditional delicatessen craft in America. The meats appear regularly in lists of "best" delicatessens and have been featured in numerous food publications and media coverage. This reputation brought customers from beyond the immediate neighborhood, establishing Katz's as a destination rather than merely a local convenience.

Practical Takeaway: The success of Katz's signature products demonstrates the importance of mastering core skills and maintaining consistency. The delicatessen's commitment to hand-slicing, proper curing techniques, and traditional recipes created products that could not be easily replicated, building competitive advantage and customer loyalty.

Katz's During the Mid-Twentieth Century Expansion

The mid-twentieth century brought significant changes to New York City and the Lower East Side. The neighborhood's demographics shifted as second and third-generation immigrants moved to other areas, and new groups arrived seeking affordable housing. Despite these broader changes, Katz's remained a fixture in the neighborhood, adapting to serve new customers while maintaining its traditional offerings. The delicatessen expanded its physical space during this period, growing from its original small storefront to a larger operation better equipped to handle increased customer volume.

The post-World War II era saw increased mobility and automobile use across America, which affected urban neighborhoods like the Lower East Side. Many delicatessens that had operated in immigrant neighborhoods closed as their customer base dispersed to suburban areas. Katz's survived this transition by building a reputation that drew customers from across the city and beyond. The delicatessen became a destination worth traveling to, rather than just a neighborhood convenience. Business people, tourists, and food enthusiasts made special trips to Katz's, supporting its continued operation when many competitors closed.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Katz's operated under a business model that emphasized efficiency and volume. The delicatessen served hundreds of customers daily, many of whom worked in the neighborhood or visited for specific reasons. The interior of the shop, with its long counter and simple furnishings, reflected its working-class origins and practical approach to food service. This unpretentious atmosphere became part of Katz's identity and appeal—customers came for quality food, not elaborate decor or atmosphere.

The delicatessen's survival during this period reflected changing preferences in American food culture. While many traditional ethnic food establishments closed or transformed to serve mainstream American tastes, Katz's maintained its Jewish delicatessen character. This commitment to authenticity, combined with genuine quality, appealed to customers who valued traditional food prepared well. Additionally, the delicatessen benefited from growing interest in ethnic cuisines and urban food experiences as American culture became more diverse and cosmopolitan.

Practical Takeaway: Katz's success during demographic and economic changes illustrates how building strong reputation and maintaining core values can sustain a business through major transitions. The delicatessen did not attempt to radically change its offerings to match changing neighborhood demographics; instead, it drew customers based on its established quality and authenticity.

The Role of Media and Pop Culture in Katz's Fame

Katz's achieved widespread cultural prominence partly through its appearance in films and television. The most famous reference came in 1989 with the film "When Harry Met Sally," which featured a scene filmed inside Katz's delicatessen. In that scene, the character Sally demonstrates a fake orgasm at a table in the restaurant, after which an older woman at a nearby table delivers the famous line, "I'll have what she's having." This brief scene became iconic in American cinema and generated enormous interest in Katz's among moviegoers and media outlets. Visitors to New York began requesting to see the location from the film, transforming Katz's into a tourist destination.

The impact of the "When Harry Met Sally" scene on Katz's business was substantial and measurable. The delicatessen, which had primarily served local customers and food enthusiasts, began experiencing crowds of tourists seeking to visit the location featured in the film. The owners capitalized on this attention by maintaining a sign