Katz’s Deli now offers its own delivery service for the first time in 132 years

Katz’s Deli has been open since 1888, but it wasn’t until the current crisis hit earlier this year that this New York icon started offering services it never considered before.

Late last week, the 132-year-old Lower East Side restaurant launched its own delivery service for the first time. It comes at a time when delivery and takeout has been a lifeline for businesses still unable to offer indoor dining. 

“A couple years ago, we started working with many of the third party sites thinking it would be a good service to offer our customers,” says Jake Dell, owner of Katz’s Deli, in an email to Time Out. “But we quickly realized what is now becoming more apparent to the public at large, which is that these companies charge exorbitant fees that border on predatory. Now with the pandemic, it seems more important than ever to provide the same service offered by these companies at a lower price to our everyday customers.”

The in-house service also makes the entire menu available, which wasn’t an option with apps like Seamless. Dishes such as chopped liver and blintzes are now available for delivery for the first time. The minimum order starts at $20 for deliveries on the Lower East Side and varies depending on where you live in Manhattan, the only borough where the service is available (we’re told there are plans to expand to Brooklyn and the Bronx soon). There’s also a promotion waiving delivery fees for the first 132 customers using the promo code “SINCE1888” for orders going to homes on 42nd Street and below.

This new offering comes on the heels of Katz’s Deli offering outdoor dining on its sidewalk along Ludlow Street for the first time. While the tourists-filled lines are no longer snaking out the door, guests craving a pastrami fix or any other Jewish deli favorites will find old pickle barrels turned into planters surrounding their tables. 

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