Community continues to honor 80 years of deli traditions in Mahoning Valley

For August’s National Deli Month, a Youngstown eatery open since 1939 is celebrating the city’s longstanding legacy of Jewish delicatessen by remembering previously-operating businesses.

Customers can save all month long on house-made corned beef, rye bread and catering trays at Kravitz Deli, founded by Rose Kravitz in 1939.

In 2022, Matthew Rydarowicz took on ownership of Kravitz Deli.

“Our corned beef, turkey, salads, rye bread and bagels are made the old-fashioned way right here every day,” Rydarowicz said. “You just can’t get the same flavor and melt-in-your-mouth taste any other way.”

For more than 80 years, Kravitz has been Youngstown’s go-to for corned beef.

Every year, they’ve sold more than 40,000 pounds of “buy the pound” sliced-to-order corned beef through Reubens, specialty sandwiches and catering orders.

“Every time I came into the deli, I ate something delicious,” he said. “I know it is challenging, but that just means I must work harder. I strongly believe that customers will always appreciate delicious sandwiches and other high-quality products.”

National Deli Month was founded in 2016.

For National Deli Month, Kravitz also submits donations to various community and non-profit organizations through the Kravitz Kares program.

Five Jewish delicatessens shaped the city’s ongoing appreciation for authentic delis in the 1940s alongside Kravitz Deli, according to Mahoning Valley historian Thomas Welsh: Evie’s Delicatessen, Newport Deli, Nudel’s Delicatessen and Spiegle’s Delicatessen.