We’re a little over one year into the expansion of the Deli’s footprint. Yes, there’s been a construction project going on at Zingerman’s Delicatessen and we are proud to say we’re open for business-as-usual for its entirety. We appreciate all who continue to come in for the Zingerman’s experience and our amazing staff who’ve been acrobatic in their accommodation of all the continual changes. The end is in sight and what a beautiful end it will be!

This year you’ll see things literally progressing “from the ground up.” The foundation of the new building that will adjoin the original Deli building is built. All of the utility lines and drainage to support it are in place neatly underground. Plumbing is in place. Elevator shaft is set. And the most bulky equipment for the new kitchen has been designed and ordered so it can be installed before the basement stairs are built.

Grace Singleton is the Deli Partner spearheading the project and the last thing she did in 2011 was to place the order with Delfield for our incredible new custom sandwich line. Nancy Rucker calls it “the sandwich line of our dreams” and she’s not exaggerating. The crowning customized accommodation will be the refrigerated pickle well with flip-top cover—undoubtedly the first and only one of its kind in America!

Why is the customized sandwich line equipment so important in the Deli’s renovation equation? Because it’s the “work horse” of the Deli and ordinary, standard equipment can’t accommodate a sandwich that’s 4 inches thick. One of the main reasons we’re expanding is to gain much needed space in the kitchen. So we need to equip the new kitchen with whatever gives us the fastest and most ideal way to make a Zingerman’s sandwich. With the sandwich line units Delfield will make for us, we’re guaranteed to produce more of our great sandwiches for more customers in less time. So many more guests can come through the Deli’s door, find
a nice table, and experience a shorter wait for their food. Hurray! This is all possible just by giving our sandwich line more room and giving our sandwich makers a few more inches of precious counter space and grill
top space plus the inserts, drawers, overhead ticket hanging space and elbow room they need.

Why did we choose Delfield? Well for starters, our old sandwich line came from Delfield so they were a good bet. And they are a local Michigan business based in Mt. Pleasant. But what sealed the deal is that the
folks at Delfield are industry leaders at the top the their game, big on green manufacturing, very safety conscious and obsessed with quality. Grace Singleton and Nancy Rucker spent an entire day visiting their
manufacturing facility back in September to see with their own eyes how a flat piece of stainless steel becoming a refrigerated unit on castors!

Prep work continues inside the old orange house so it can be incorporated into the new building and be part of the eventual Deli flow. Masons are working on the walls, heating the footings and foundations to keep the
grout from freezing. We’ll look forward to brick work beginning in the spring as the buds appear on the trees!

Stay tuned as the walls go up. The expanded Deli is slowly but surely
becoming real before our eyes. The planning has been years in the making.
To see plans and documentation of this whole project from day one, visit
www.zingermansdeli.com/deli-construction-news/