Category: Ronnie’s Blog

Here I am, about seven miles in the air traveling to Memphis, Tennessee – a place I have not been to in over 47 years. My wife Cindy, and I are taking a river cruise on the mighty Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans. I hope to see Graceland prior to the beginning of the river cruise so I can remember the time my late Aunt Betty danced to “Hound Dog” and other Elvis Presley songs. Understand that my Aunt Betty lived with us as we were growing up. To this day, I get the greatest joy listening to 50s music, smiling with all the warm memories of Aunt Betty, for whom our four-year-old granddaughter is named.

Just prior to boarding the plane at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, I recognized a Congressman from – of all places – the Volunteer State, Tennessee. It was U.S. representative, Steve Cohen. Anyone who knows me knows I could never pass up the opportunity to converse with a politician. I told him that, in a few weeks, I would be catering an event in Washington, D.C.

Lo and behold, he said he would be attending. I then told the Congressman that I would be slicing the succulent double-steamed pastrami at that event. I did tell him, however, that I wouldn’t be serving fried chicken, as there was a famous picture of the good Congressman munching on fried chicken while some of his fellow Congressmen were questioning the Attorney General of the United States, William Barr, about the Mueller Report.

He then told me that, on the cruise I was taking, there would be ample amounts of southern fried chicken to nosh on. And my wandering mind is still wondering if he, the good Congressman, was washing down that Kentucky fried chicken with some of that well-known Tennessee whiskey.

See y’all at the Deli.

Simply,
Ronnie

P.S. Tennessee Congressman, Steve Cohen, did indeed attend the DNC event in Washington, D.C. that Ben’s catered!

I can still remember. April showers bring May flowers and so what does the Mayflower bring? Pilgrims!

But not those immigrants, silly. Rather, our latest wave of immigration includes those from India, Pakistan, the Pacific Rim, Central America, etc.

Unlike most African-Americans – who were forcibly brought to this country – the immigrants of yesteryear desperately came here to seek a better life in the land of opportunity. Isn’t it a wonderful testament to the United States of America that people still want to come here, even with its warts?

We are probably the most diverse nation on the planet with input from so many different cultures and an appreciation of so many perspectives. The common denominator here is that most people simply want to put food on their table, a roof over their head, and a good education for their offspring… in a peaceful environment. They came from places where they may have been persecuted, tortured, and/or imprisoned for a whole host of reasons…. many of which we cringe when we see and hear the offenses.

The immigrants we have working at Ben’s, most of whom are from Central America, are hardworking, and honorable – dedicated to the job and serving the public well. My heart goes out to these people as they hear all the noise emanating from Washington, D.C. Sometimes, I think they are pawns in some sort of political chess game. They are no more guilty of crimes than those who are American born. They are as striving as any native-born American, maybe more so.

Why do we pick on the weakest among us? What have they done to affect our lives adversely? Does it mean that we should ignore the gangs? Absolutely not. In the same way we went after organized crime and the drug cartels, we should go after gangs and gang members. Most of the immigrants on the low end of the pay scale, who do the jobs that most Americans do not want, serve a real need in society until such time, as they and their offspring can attain the American dream…and then we’ll be ready for the next wave of immigration.

As has been said by much smarter people than me, a society is judged not by how it treats the most well-heeled among us, but the poorest and weakest among us.

See ya at the Deli.

Simply,
Ronnie

That time again. What am I to write? The idols of my youth? Willie Mays, Karl Marx, Norman Thomas “Who are they?” you may be asking if you’re under the age of 50? Contemporary political events?
No, I am a Deli Man. So, about deli I will write. As Ben’s approaches its 47th year in business beginning with its first location in 1972, I remind myself of the many very successful men and women
who once worked at Ben’s.

Ensconced in telecommunications, information technology, the law, medicine, accounting, etc., they have made me proud. As you may know, working to satisfy deli restaurant customers is challenging…
and educational – worth at least two semesters of college credit. Believe me, I know. Where else could one learn to weather the storms of a benevolent despot (me), harried and hurried patrons and sometimes
irritating and inconsiderate co-workers? Yes, Ben’s can prepare one well.

Now, at the age of 70-1/2 with bad legs and feet from all those 100 plus-hour workweeks and other ailments, I can no longer climb nor move mountains. What my body cannot do, my mind must.

The task for a tired leader is to groom a cadre of successors and know when to move on. My next years at Ben’s will be spent marshaling the forces to ensure continuity of our core values – integrity, honesty and social humanism – and the Kosher Delicatessen tradition!

See ya at the Deli,

Simply,
Ronnie

I am on the horns of a dilemma. I am just hoping that that the horns don’t gore me! With restaurant margins being squeezed by minimum wage increases (not opposed to this, only opposed to the rapid rise which makes it difficult to absorb) with a concomitant raise for those above the minimum wage, labor shortages, food cost inflation, third-party delivery fees, and the higher ELD freight (trucking industry) mandates … it is no wonder this will be causing major disruptions in the restaurant industry. No restaurant will go unscathed.

What should I do? What can I do to prevail?

All this while I am awaiting two lease extensions from landlords. In one location (since 1982) and the other (since 1996), I don’t know what to expect, though I do know, and am counting on the fact, that it is not so easy to rent retail space these days. We are all witnessing so many empty retail spaces for rent in the Big Apple, as well as on Long Island. It is in my favor that I have always paid my rent on time, and I try to comply with all the rules and regulations from the respective landlords. I even, personally, park in the employee-designated parking areas that the respective landlords have established over the years, even though it is a long walk for a 70-year-old whose time spent on his legs behind the deli counter is hard to calculate. In my years on this Earth, I can calculate, however, how many days and hours I have worked through the nearly 47 years spent behind that deli counter — probably two lifetimes of work.

I look back and say, “Why?”

My father used to tell me that Y is a crooked letter. But I know the real reason. Having lived in eight different places in the first 14 years of life, I had an overwhelming desire to be successful. Please note that I said “successful,” not how much money I have made and lost in the kosher delicatessen business. All I can say — and I tell this to my wife multiple times — is that, no matter what happens on this rocky road of kosher deli, we are a whole lot better off today than we were back in the day. And, in the end, that is what counts. Knowing how many mouths we have fed, how many more people we satisfied than disappointed, how many young employees went on to professional lives and how many employees made this their life’s work. And I always marvel at the many lifelong friendships that are cultivated at Ben’s, and that we have been the source for so many of life’s rites of passage….

With that knowledge, I persevere and gain the strength I need to get up and fight another day. I am confident that my 47 years in this business has taught me enough to make this work. My knowledge, and never-ending passion and dedication, will help me lead the way. We will be the one left standing as I still have one more lifetime of work, yet, left in me (or ahead of me — I couldn’t decide).

See ya at the Deli.

Simply,
Ronnie

Change is inevitable, but not always positive.

As a business owner for 46 years, I have had to change with the times; some changes have been exciting while others have been disheartening. One of my recent and growing struggles has been on how to handle the negative impact of social media. Instead of complaining to me and allowing me to rectify a problem, customers — and even non-customers — take the liberty to bash me and my business on social media. These are not people who want to offer insight or constructive criticism, which I have always welcomed. Rather, these are people who seem to have venomous, mean-spirited diatribes on their agenda.

Waking up to these words or seeing them as the last thing I see before I go to bed has affected me as a person … a person who values customers and people saying nice things about Ben’s much more than money. I am left to wonder what people are really thinking in this world of social media, and if they know how defamatory their remarks may be and how hurtful they are … or if people simply have nothing better to do with their time.
I try to stand tall and proud. After all, I build restaurants that are aesthetically pleasing, hiring well-known architects to execute my thoughts and layouts, try to buy the best in kosher meat, make most of our foods from scratch, and ask my 320 employees to take good care of our equipment, our foods and, most importantly, our patrons.
I also have contributed over $1 million to Long Island-based causes over the last 40 years, never refusing to lend a hand, giving gift certificates to almost every organization that requests donations, giving out Pint for a Pint certificates for those who donate a pint of blood (give a pint of blood, receive a pint of chicken soup) and donating money to those groups, attempting to help those who are the weakest and poorest among us. Although maintaining a profitable business is much harder than it used to be, I still continue to contribute robustly because it is important to me.

As with most things and plans, however, I sometimes fall short. Those who know me personally and professionally will never say that I didn’t try hard enough, and even harder when the public points out our failings. I have always been responsive to customer wants and needs and answer each and every concern. Constructive criticism is essential to me so I can make Ben’s the very best it can be!

I welcome your feedback, both good and bad, and hope that you continue to let me know how we are doing. Allow me to right the wrongs and, remember: I depend on dialogue and communication so Ben’s can strive to do better and continue to prosper and grow and not join other delis in the ash heap of history.

Thanks for listening!

See you at the Deli,
Ronnie

Years ago, we began printing ‘Comment Cards’ for our patrons to evaluate the experience they had at whichever Ben’s location at which they chose to dine or take-out. It has been a very interesting experience to read these, especially for someone with my sense of humor and, with that in mind, I always made my own comments (in my mind, of course) ***

So, when a customer wrote:

…that she loved the server — I suggested that she take him home with her (in my mind);

…that she didn’t like the décor — I offered for her to redesign the store and build it just the way she would like (again, in my mind);

…that he liked the matzoh balls better in another Ben’s location — I suggested that he go there (again, in my mind);

…that we didn’t have enough stalls in a particular Ben’s — I asked whether the patron came to dine or pee (again, in my mind);

…complaining about a young worker having pimples — I inquired whether the patron was a dermatologist, so he could offer his services to the young worker (again, in my mind);

…that she and her husband were revolted by the length of a server’s nails — I said, “you should see the collections of snakes and tarantulas in her home†(again, in my mind);

…that he remembered when kosher hot dogs cost 5 cents — I wondered how much he was making per week “back in the day†(again, in my mind);
…that she didn’t like the server uniforms — I asked whether she prefer that the servers wore no uniforms (again, in my mind);

…that she had to wait on the queue for more than 40 minutes to get seated at the Ben’s Boca Raton, Florida location — I said, “at least it’s warm outside†(again, in my mind).
Owning a Kosher Delicatessen and Restaurant is like earning a Master’s degree in human psychology!

***Please don’t get the wrong impression from my bent to the whimsical. I take these comments from our patrons very seriously, including suggestions about our food, décor, service, bathrooms, etc. Just ask the General Managers about the missives I write and the phone calls that I make as I undertake the correction of our failings and the reinforcement of the positive customer comments.

See ya’ at the deli,

Simply,

As was written in an old Ben’s Deli Newsletter (and actually delivered by the U.S. Post Office) over twenty-three years ago:

“United Parcel Service may deliver to more than fifty countries but Ben’s is not far behind. Our employees come from all over the world, countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. People from such interesting places as El Salvador, China, Greece, Italy, France, Scotland, Germany, Peru, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Romania, Honduras, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Israel, Argentina, Spain and even Brooklyn contribute to Ben’s ethnic diversity.”

“With both Ben’s and the United nations located in the metro New York area, we can’t help but wonder whether Ben’s international family of employees don’t work together and respect one another than the delegates from the hundred or more U.N. countries.”

We are proud of how so many different people from all over the world work together to please you!

It is as true today as it was twenty-three years ago, except now this article and message is delivered through email and not snail mail as it was twenty-three years ago.

See ya at the deli,

As we approach 2019, I am astounded by the changes taking place at breathtaking speed (or is it breakneck speed?) whether it is in the technological sphere, the brick and mortar industry, sports analytics, the food industry, or our personal behavior.

I’ve been told by my wife that the toilet seat needs to be down when I flush. I asked her why, she says there will be bacteria in the air. I say, there will always be bacteria in the air.

I’ve been told by my daughter that I need to Purell when I enter their home. I have also been told to Purell when I come close to my granddaughter and grandson (oh, I also need to take my shoes off when I enter their home). Are all the germs evaporated as a result?

Our paper and bag company (although they sell more plastic than paper) tells us that we need to order five days in advance of a holiday because they are off on the holiday (but shouldn’t that mean — as a result of my mathematical training — that we would only need one additional day to order?).

Our broadline distributor (the new word to describe our grocery vendor) tells us that they will cut off all orders if not sent by 4:00 in the afternoon for a next-day delivery. There was a time when a wholesaler would beg for an order at any time day or night. There was a time when a live human being actually answered the phones.***

Ten years ago, I took no pills. Now, I must take 25 pills per day, some in the morning, some at night. I sometimes think that some of the aches and pains I endure are not from the ailment, but rather from the side effects of all the pills I am taking. Might this be collusion by the drug companies?

I used to read the sports pages and understood what the sportswriter was writing. Now, I need a translator to interpret what the new jargon means. I knew from ERA, batting average, wins and losses. Now I see all other verbiage that lets one know if one is a good pitcher, a good hitter. I say, just watch the game and watch the player!

I always thought of my business life as an ever-changing and evolving adventure…over time. Now, I feel as if change is happening overnight. What was technologically good yesterday is no longer good or even legal today. From chip readers, to counterfeit detectors, to computer upgrades, etc. I need to rewrite our employee handbook too much. Might this be collusion with the printing industry?

Ah heck, that’s enough for now.

See ya at the deli,

What is the single most important quality and characteristic of a Kosher Deli Owner? In my 46 years on the job, many qualities come to mind, but I have determined that one cannot survive this business without having a sense of humor and the ability to laugh…at everything.

Here are a few musings:

Doctor calls up, is irate and disputes the Amex Charge for a catering order.

I tell the good Doctor that I took the order from his nurse.

Without apology, he abruptly hangs up the phone.

Customer comes to the register and says he never received such awful service from the rude and arrogant waiter, though the steak was delicious… but still he states, he is never coming back. With that, he asks for change of $20.00 and then hands the awful waiter with the awful service a $5.00 tip. He had me scratching my head (Is that why I am bald?). Incredulous.

Just opened my first deli on the south shore of Long Island (after it had gone bankrupt twice) and a customer tells me I will be going broke. Puzzled, I asked myself why? Later in my conversation with the customer, the customer was annoyed with me that I wouldn’t give out free cookies with his coffee. I said but Joey (the previous owner) went bankrupt… how can you be annoyed with me?

Very recently married, a woman comes to the counter and asks if that is my bride who is

working the hot dog grill. With pride, I say yes. She then says that she was never coming in again. I was startled, especially since my goal was to keep every customer who dined or took out with us (never lose a patron) and only make additional patrons. What was my wife’s transgression? The woman purchased a hot dog and went to sit at a table. My wife told this woman that the tables were reserved for wait service. I didn’t talk to my wife for a full thirty minutes.

I am embarrassed by an incident which took place when I was about 25 years of age (45 years ago). A street hustler and garmento type (actually he was in the garment business), he chiseled me on an order and he was relentless in getting this for free and that for free, I told him—quite cowardly—the next day that I had a fire in my kitchen and couldn’t do the order. I never forgave myself for not being upfront and saying this is what I need to make you happy and Ben’s happy (but I didn’t).

I just opened the Ben’s in Manhattan and we were crazy busy when we opened. I told the front of the house staff that I was working behind the counter and to please not disturb me and not to direct customers to me since I had more than adequate staff to take care of all issues. Nobody could handle this irate customer, so I had to intervene. So what did the customer want? He wanted to cash a $100 check and was furious that my staff refused. I said, as a businessman, why would I want to take cash money out of my register and hope that all is good with the check? After cursing me up and down, I said to him that I had an agreement with the bank—-Ben’s doesn’t cash checks and they don’t sell pastrami.

All in a day’s work (or lifetime of work).

Let’s keep laughing together,

I always look forward to the month of October.
But, this year, a harsh reality must be faced.
Why? You might ask.
Well, I am turning 70 years of age.
And I thought I’d never make it.
What to do?
Keep on going?
Pack it in?
Sell my beloved business and brand?
No, never.
So what is the reality?
That I have to start taking distributions from my Ben’s 401(k) plan at age of 70-1/2 years!

Still hoping to see you in the deli!

Simply,