Vintage pop culture is a modern-day trend, seeing many remakes of old movies and fashions once thought long gone. For the restaurant industry, the trend harkens to the decades-old standard of fresh and authentic. So it is for TooJay’s Traditional Delicatessen.
Squarely positioned at the intersection of trend and tradition, this legacy brand is celebrating 35 years of delighting diners with freshly prepared, authentic deli favorites.
The original location was founded by Jay Brown and Mark Jay Katzenberg, the two “Jays” who combined their names to form the brand.
The partners’ first deli was established on the island of Palm Beach, where it is still open and flourishing today. Since its inception, this sense of tradition has been part of TooJay’s company culture.
The moment you walk through the entrance doors, you are welcomed by a tempting deli case of fresh meats and cheeses, irresistible desserts and the aroma of fresh-baked bread. Before it was an industry trend, TooJay’s had already established their authenticity with classic Reubens, pastrami sandwiches and legendary black and white cookies.
“What we have served for over 35 years and tens of thousands of diners, is fresh, authentic and traditional dishes that diners are actively seeking,” said Dennis Snuszka, company vice president of culinary standards. “In less than five years, more than half of the U.S. population will be 49 or older. This is a population that remembers and appreciates comfort food. Meanwhile, younger generations are the most fresh-food conscious anyone can remember or track.”
Snuszka said the combination of the two is why the authentic deli dining business is the next vintage trend.
This trend feeds TooJay’s retro-loving pop culture corned beef sandwich, loaded latkes and matzo ball soup.
“After generations of serving Floridians, it is an exciting time for us, because our neighborhoods know TooJay’s means deli. No one says, ‘Let’s get some deli food.’ They say, ‘Let’s get TooJay’s.’”
Founded in 1981, TooJay’s (www.toojays.com) has become a Florida institution, with 26 restaurants throughout the state. In addition to favorites from corned beef piled high on thick slices of freshly baked rye to classic Reubens and chicken noodle soup, TooJay’s offers a host of lighter entrées and a diverse catering menu, its famous selection of freshly baked desserts, and homestyle comfort food entrees.
ABOVE: TooJay’s dessert case offers temptations near the front of each store.
