Kosher-Style Feldman’s Deli Thrives In Salt Lake City
When Michael Feldman and his wife Janet were thinking about embarking on a new career, after he sold his biotech company while living in Salt Lake City in 2010, they had an oddball thought: why not open a Jewish deli since there weren't any located in the vicinity?
The couple were both raised around Newark, N.J., where Jewish delis flourished and Janet's family was Polish and owned bakeries, so they had the requisite cultural background. Once they resolved that "What was missing in Utah from New Jersey was a deli," said Michael, they opened Feldman's Deli in 2011. Feldman's Deli has been thriving ever since.
They weren't deterred by the fact that about half of Salt Lake City's population, numbering 212,000 in 2024, were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) who likely were unfamiliar with corned beef and pastrami sandwiches and latkes (Jewish-style potato pancakes).
But co-founder Michael Feldman noted that many Morman congregants are sent on missions across the world and get exposed to food beyond the Salt Lake City culture,and are often very open to different styles of food.
At the time there were only about 6,000 Jewish people living in Utah. Nonetheless, they felt that Jewish deli food would catch on and fill a void.
They self-capitalized the opening, using the payout from selling his second biotech firm, supplemented with some savings, with no outside investors. The restaurant seats about 50 people, though for special events, it can squeeze in 65 people.
A Changing Salt Lake City Restaurant Scene
Feldman thought in 2011 Salt Lake City's restaurant scene was undergoing transformation. Many denizens were tired of tried-and-true franchised options and were looking for more elevated dining. And he noted Lou Dornbush Delicatessen had lasted in Salt Lake City from 1955 until 1978 when Lou Dorbush retired and it closed so there was some familiarity with deli food.
Salt Lake City, because of its outdoor climate and (when they opened) affordable housing, attracted a slew of transplants. Many of them, Michael Feldman says, "were looking for the food they grew up with." And others were curious about what corned beef and pastrami tasted like.
But neither Michael nor Janet Feldman had ever run a restaurant so how did they learn the art of finding the right food suppliers for hard-to-find items like pastrami and corned beef? Feldman completed a Goldman Sachs course on "10,000 Small Business Executive Training" where he discovered that business fundamentals were the same, despite some differences in infrastructure and the employee pool. They made some mistakes and learned from them.
It's a NY Wholesaler That Ships the Corned Beef
They learned, for example, to buy pastrami and corned beef from New York wholesaler Carnegie Deli and have it vacuum-packed and shipped. Janet Feldman prepared the recipes for latkes, knishes, whitefish salad and gefilte fish.
Michael Feldman, who has a classic New York/New Jersey style of humor, admits that "No one out west is looking to eat gefilte fish," which is known for its very strong taste.
The deli food served at Feldman's Deli isn't kosher, nor are there any kosher butchers or bakers in the area. Feldman calls it kosher-style, which is also served at Katz's Deli in New York City.
The Only Jewish-Style Deli for 500 Miles
Feldman's Deli has succeeded for several reasons including in Michaels' view "being the only Jewish deli in Utah" for 500 miles gives it a competitive edge compared to the slew of crispy chicken and burger chains. "You have to go to Las Vegas to get something similar," he adds.
Being one-of-a-kind Jewish deli in Utah led to a slew of publicity including being featured in local Utah weeklies, interviews on local radio, awards for best lunch in Utah.
On Yelp many patrons were enthusiastic about dining at Feldman's Deli. Peter from Indianapolis said if you can't make up your mind order the combo Reuben sandwich because "it's one of those sandwiches that you're full after half," and he also recommended ordering the fries and adding Thousand Island dressing to them.
Estela from South Jordan, Utah enjoyed her toasted Reuben sandwich, thought the fries were crunchy, and liked the fact that there was a greeter at the door. "The sandwich tasted like I was in a New York deli though I've only been there once," she wrote.
In May 2023, Michael and Janet handled over the reins of leadership to their son John Feldman who had worked in the deli in numerous capacities since he was 13. John is general manager and co-owner and runs the operations, with his parents as advisors.
Michael Felman says about his son John, "I made him do everything. He started working at age 18, as the bottle-washer, dishwasher, then in the kitchen, then bussed tables, then waited on tables, he learned the business from the ground up." His brother Joe opted to be a rigger, not a restaurateur.
John Feldman attended a ceremony for his parents when the deli won a Utah Classics award and was struck by how many locals talked about what Feldman's Deli meant to them. Inspired, he took over leadership in May 2023 though Michael comes around to greet guests and Janet serves as a food consultant.
Asked what the 3 factors have been in the success of Feldman's Deli, Michael replies that he was inspired by Jim Collins' book Good to Great and they were: 1) Be passionate about what you do, 2) Stick to what you do well; don't try to be everything to everyone, 3) Generate loyal "raving" fans.
