Regal Deli to close in Plainview after 56 years
The Regal Deli in Plainview. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
After five decades in Plainview, Regal Kosher Delicatessen will serve its last corned beef sandwich on Nov. 6. Owner Sherri Banks said that the lease was coming up for renewal at the end of the year and, with inflation — especially the rising price of kosher meat — and the labor shortage, “the restaurant just isn’t making enough money to survive.”
It’s the third Plainview food business closing in as many weeks, following the Plainview Diner and Morrison’s.
Banks’ father, Steven Weiss, opened the Regal in 1966 along with his parents, Celia and Harold Weiss, his brother, Richard Weiss, sister, Joyce Schwartz, and the Brown family, who left the business within a few years.
The deli occupied the western half of a low-slung, midcentury building with a V-shaped roof. Over the years, the other half of the building had tenants including an insurance broker and, now, a barber shop. During the 1970s, the Weiss brothers dabbled in the jewelry business and dedicated a counter in the front of the deli to gold and diamonds. “There was stuffed cabbage, knishes at one counter, engagement rings and wedding bands in the other,” Banks recalled. “We used to say, ‘you can get your latkes and your Hanukkah present at the deli.'"
Another distinctive feature of the deli was the enormous rubber plant that, suspended from the ceiling, canopied most of the dining room. “The plant was a grand-opening present,” Banks said. “Now we are giving cuttings of it to customers.”
Over the last 10 years, many of Long Island’s historic kosher delis have closed including Boomy’s and Ruven’s in Plainview, Deli King in Lake Success, the Bellcrest in Bellmore, Deli on Rye in Albertson, Delsen’s in Bay Shore and Commack Kosher Meats.
Banks, who started bringing pickles to tables when she was five, said she felt “heartbroken” to close the deli. “Since July I’m seeing more young people coming in, even ordering via DoorDash. But it’s just not enough.”
Regal Deli is at 1110 Old Country Rd., Plainview, 516-938-3588.
After five decades in Plainview, Regal Kosher Delicatessen will serve its last corned beef sandwich on Nov. 6. Owner Sherri Banks said that the lease was coming up for renewal at the end of the year and, with inflation — especially the rising price of kosher meat — and the labor shortage, “the restaurant just isn’t making enough money to survive.”
It’s the third Plainview food business closing in as many weeks, following the Plainview Diner and Morrison’s.
Banks’ father, Steven Weiss, opened the Regal in 1966 along with his parents, Celia and Harold Weiss, his brother, Richard Weiss, sister, Joyce Schwartz, and the Brown family, who left the business within a few years.
The deli occupied the western half of a low-slung, midcentury building with a V-shaped roof. Over the years, the other half of the building had tenants including an insurance broker and, now, a barber shop. During the 1970s, the Weiss brothers dabbled in the jewelry business and dedicated a counter in the front of the deli to gold and diamonds. “There was stuffed cabbage, knishes at one counter, engagement rings and wedding bands in the other,” Banks recalled. “We used to say, ‘you can get your latkes and your Hanukkah present at the deli.'"
Another distinctive feature of the deli was the enormous rubber plant that, suspended from the ceiling, canopied most of the dining room. “The plant was a grand-opening present,” Banks said. “Now we are giving cuttings of it to customers.”
Over the last 10 years, many of Long Island’s historic kosher delis have closed including Boomy’s and Ruven’s in Plainview, Deli King in Lake Success, the Bellcrest in Bellmore, Deli on Rye in Albertson, Delsen’s in Bay Shore and Commack Kosher Meats.
Banks, who started bringing pickles to tables when she was five, said she felt “heartbroken” to close the deli. “Since July I’m seeing more young people coming in, even ordering via DoorDash. But it’s just not enough.”
Regal Deli is at 1110 Old Country Rd., Plainview, 516-938-3588.
