View source for Bens De Luxe Delicatessen & Restaurant

{{for|the NY deli chain|Ben's Kosher Deli}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox Restaurant
| name             = Bens De Luxe Delicatessen & Restaurant
| image            = BensStorefront2005.jpg
| image_width      =
| image_caption    = Bens storefront (2005)
| pushpin_map       = Canada Montreal
| map_width         =
| map_alt           =
| map_caption       =
| established      = 1908
| closed           = 2006
| current-owner    =
| head-chef        =
| food-type        = Jewish [[kosher style]] [[Jewish deli|delicatessen]]
| dress-code       = Casual
| rating           =
| coordinates      = {{coord|45.502091|N|73.573363|W|display=inline,title}}
| street-address   =  990 [[De Maisonneuve Boulevard|De Maisonneuve Boulevard West]]
| city             = [[Montreal]]
| state            = [[Quebec]]
| postcode         =
| country          = Canada
| seating-capacity =
| reservations     =
| other-locations  =
| other-information=
| website          =
}}
'''Bens De Luxe Delicatessen and Restaurant ''' was a renowned [[Jewish delicatessen]] in [[Montreal]], [[Canada]]. The restaurant was famed for its [[Montreal-style smoked meat]] sandwich. During its heyday it was a popular late-night dining fixture in the downtown core and a favourite eatery of many celebrities. It was open for nearly a century, from 1908 to 2006. At 98 years it was the oldest deli in the city.
Bens had a longstanding and widely believed advertising slogan that claimed the restaurant had invented smoked meat, but this has been debunked by cultural historians.<ref name="auto1">Note: "Old Man Kravitz, a shameless self-promoter ... Throughout the years Ben claimed that he introduced the smoked meat sandwich to Montreal. But it is a well-known fact that the British-American Delicatessen Store had been dispensing quality smoked meat sandwiches for a period of four years prior to the establishment of Fanny's Fruit and Candy Store. Old Man Kravitz also implied that he introduced smoked meat to Montreal, but we know that is a pile of baloney". Eiran Harris, [http://www.erudit.org/revue/cuizine/2009/v1/n2/037859ar.html Montreal-Style Smoked Meat: An interview with Eiran Harris conducted by Lara Rabinovitch, with the cooperation of the Jewish Public Library Archives of Montreal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425082823/http://www.erudit.org/revue/cuizine/2009/v1/n2/037859ar.html |date=April 25, 2010 }}, ''Cuizine: The Journal of Canadian Food Cultures'': Volume 1, numéro 2, 2009.</ref>
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Bens4.jpg|thumb|right|Faded Ben's posters in window.]] -->
[[File:BensInterior2002.jpg|thumb|Inside beside the counter. Visible on the wall is a display of photos of celebrity customers.]]
[[Image:Bens (2).jpg|thumb|right|Inside View.]]
[[File:Bens (1).jpg|thumb|Bens [[art deco]]-style entrance.]]
[[Image:Bens8.jpg|thumb|right|The cashier's counter.]]
==Former restaurant site and interior==
The restaurant was located at 990 [[De Maisonneuve Boulevard]] West, on the southeast corner of the intersection with [[Metcalfe Street (Montreal)|Metcalfe Street]]. The three-storey brown brick building was designed in 1950 by Charles Davis Goodman, who as well designed the Jewish General Hospital and the Laurentian Hotel.<ref name="thesuburban.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.thesuburban.com/article.php?id=3335&title=A-Slice-Of-Smoked-Meat-Memories-Served-Up-At-McCord-Museum|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715113200/http://www.thesuburban.com/article.php?id=3335&title=A-Slice-Of-Smoked-Meat-Memories-Served-Up-At-McCord-Museum|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=A Slice Of Smoked Meat Memories Served Up At McCord Museum - By Bernard Mendelman - The Suburban Newspaper|author=Bernard Mendelman|date=June 25, 2014|access-date=November 2, 2014}}</ref> It was Bens third and final location, where it operated from 1949 until its closure 57 years later. The building had a rounded front corner facing, green awnings, large bay windows and a large illuminated wrap-around sign. The restaurant was on the ground floor and two upper floors were rented.
The interior was seemingly unchanged through the years. Its columns and walls were painted in bright greens and yellows with chrome siding, it had a stainless steel edged counter with rows of chrome counter stools, and [[terrazzo]] floors, laminate wall covering, and a ceiling with indirect lighting coves.<ref name="thesuburban.com"/> The chairs were bright yellow, orange and green. Walls were covered in photographs of celebrities who had dined at the restaurant; one spot was dubbed "Bens Wall of Fame". Bens employed only waiters, who wore a black bow tie and white buttoned shirt with black dress pants and shoes, along with a white waist apron.
==History==
===Early years and golden age===
Benjamin Kravitz (a Lithuanian immigrant) and his Ukrainian-born wife Fanny (née Schwartz) opened a sweet shop on [[Saint Lawrence Boulevard]] in Montreal in 1908. They soon added smoked meat sandwiches, using his mother's recipe. Kravitz was generous towards customers and employees, as during the [[Great Depression]] he provided a [[Soup kitchen|breadline]] which he also personally served. <ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://montreal.eater.com/2015/1/27/7925837/a-bens-waiter-reflects-on-40-years-at-the-bygone-deli-icon | title=A Bens Waiter Reflects on 40 Years at Montreal's Bygone Deli Icon | date=January 27, 2015 | access-date=June 1, 2023 | archive-date=June 1, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601000949/https://montreal.eater.com/2015/1/27/7925837/a-bens-waiter-reflects-on-40-years-at-the-bygone-deli-icon | url-status=live }}</ref>
In 1929 they moved to de Maisonneuve (formerly Burnside) and Mansfield, and to their final location in 1949.<ref name="cbc.ca">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/mccord-museum-exhibit-gives-a-taste-of-legendary-bens-deli-1.2683369|title=McCord Museum exhibit gives a taste of legendary Bens Deli|date=June 22, 2014|access-date=November 2, 2014|archive-date=November 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117180443/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/mccord-museum-exhibit-gives-a-taste-of-legendary-bens-deli-1.2683369|url-status=live}}</ref> The restaurant was open 23 hours daily, closed only for cleaning. The 1001 Burnside location, in the theatre district behind the Sheraton Mount Royal Hotel, was a popular late-night dining haunt for celebrities and movie stars.
Kravitz passed the business on to his sons Irving, Sollie and Al, who would often be seen working at the deli.<ref name="cbc.ca"/> At the height of its popularity, from the 1950s to the early 1980s, the restaurant had 75 to 100 employees. Customers often formed lunchtime line-ups that stretched around the block.<ref name="therecord.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.therecord.com/whatson-story/4585711-new-exhibit-celebrates-montreal-deli/|title=New exhibit celebrates Montreal deli|access-date=November 2, 2014|archive-date=December 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203105210/https://www.therecord.com/life/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>
Many well known and famous people frequented the restaurant, including Canadian Prime Ministers [[Pierre Trudeau]] and [[Paul Martin]], Quebec Premiers [[René Lévesque]], [[Jacques Parizeau]] and [[Jean Charest]], Free Trade negotiator [[Simon Reisman]], artists [[Leonard Cohen]] and [[Irving Layton]], entertainers [[Ed Sullivan]], [[Burl Ives]], [[Bette Midler]], [[Jack Benny]] and [[Liberace]], and sportsmen [[Bob Geary (Canadian football)|Bob Geary]], [[Gordie Howe]] and [[Jean Béliveau]] (one of the many [[Montreal Canadiens]] that ate at the deli.) <ref>[http://www.bensonstrike.zoomshare.com/ A legendary sandwich shop is toast: After 98 years as a fixture in Montreal] ''by Ingrid Peritz'' in [[The Globe and Mail]] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718160016/http://www.bensonstrike.zoomshare.com/ |date=July 18, 2011 }}</ref>
Smoked meat fans debated whether Bens or [[Schwartz's]] (another local deli) had the best [[smoked meat]] sandwich. Bens thin sliced meat was piled high between rye bread, while Schwartz's offers plates of thickly cut smoked meat. Bens had a longstanding and widely believed advertising slogan that claimed the restaurant had invented smoked meat, but this has been debunked by Jewish food and cultural historians.<ref name="auto1"/>
===Decline===
The 1990s were difficult for Bens, with the death of owner Irving Kravitz, followed by labour disputes (the employees unionized in 1995) and declining patronage. Irving died in 1992, leaving the restaurant to his wife Jean and their son Elliot, while Al was no longer involved in day-to-day operations. Business began to decline, the staff was reduced to 25, and the quality of the food and service was lesser than in previous years. The smoked meat was formerly prepared in-house, using big steamers, and then the meat was hand-cut. However, under cost-cutting by Jean Kravitz, the smoked meat was ordered from another company pre-cooked, then cut with a machine and warmed up by restaurant staff. [[French fries]] were formerly cut by hand and fried on the spot, but since then replaced by frozen fries. Also, the restaurant's opening hours were gradually reduced from 7:30&nbsp;a.m. to 12:30&nbsp;a.m., and until 2 a.m. on weekends to 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., a far cry from its heydays where the restaurant was open almost 24 hours (being closed only from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. for cleaning). <ref name="auto"/>
Reviews criticized the quality of smoked meat and other signature dishes, as well as portion size and value for price. Though the restaurant got a poor reputation with locals who deserted it, it nonetheless survived due to its popularity with tourists who sought it out due to its history and the charm of its old-time decor.<ref name="auto"/>
===Closure===
The beginning of the end started on July 20, 2006, when employees voted to strike. It was the end of an era after 98 years of continuous operation, as the restaurant closed and would not reopen. On December 15, 2006, the building was sold to [[SIDEV Realty Corporation]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sidev.com/english/Company.asp|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323031302/http://www.sidev.com/english/Company.asp|url-status=dead|title=SIDEV Realty Corporation|archivedate=March 23, 2010}}</ref>  bringing the restaurant's long history to an end. SIDEV immediately announced a new building project.
==Debate over preservation of site==
SIDEV planned to build a 15-storey hotel on the property, but faced opposition. For nearly two years Bens sat empty, with its contents and memorabilia stacked inside. The building was one of the top 10 endangered places in Canada, according to the [[Heritage Canada Foundation]]. Described as a "cultural icon", an editorial in the ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'' disagreed, calling it a "cheap, miserable example of art deco," "soulless" and a "charmless collection of drab tan bricks."<ref>[http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/columnists/story.html?id=1dda07f6-8155-4844-a0c6-b24934f255b9 Take out Ben's], [[Montreal Gazette]], May 8, 2008 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609010006/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/columnists/story.html?id=1dda07f6-8155-4844-a0c6-b24934f255b9 |date=June 9, 2008 }}</ref> The [[Art Deco Society of Montreal]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.artdecomontreal.com/en/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701122314/http://www.artdecomontreal.com/en/|url-status=dead|title=Art Deco Society of Montreal|archivedate=July 1, 2010}}</ref> wanted it preserved, as a tourist attraction and movie set as it had a [[Streamline Moderne]] motif.<ref>[http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=6e32a745-b135-4a27-a649-335fa01474fa&k=14951 Preserving slice of Montreal life], ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', June 15, 2007 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717014132/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=6e32a745-b135-4a27-a649-335fa01474fa&k=14951 |date=July 17, 2007 }}</ref> They wanted the city to stop the demolition and the building be declared a heritage site by the province.
===Demolition and curation===
On April 4, 2008, the city of Montreal stated it planned to allow demolition of the building and held a public hearing.<ref>[http://www.stillepost.ca/boards/index.php?topic=103933.0 Stille Post > Québec > Montréal > Topic: BEN's DELI final meeting before demolition MONDAY APRIL 21, 6pm] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609021722/http://www.stillepost.ca/boards/index.php?topic=103933.0 |date=June 9, 2008 }}</ref> On June 3 the [[Ville-Marie, Montreal|Ville-Marie]] council unanimously voted to demolish the building, a condition being the developer must commemorate the deli in the new building. Demolition started September 25. On October 1, the iconic Bens wrap-around sign was removed and October 29 the vertical red Bens sign, that was visible for several blocks, was taken down. Demolition was complete in November. The deli memorabilia, including autographed photos from Bens Wall of Fame, menus and interior signage, were donated to the [[McCord Museum]].<ref>[http://www.montrealmirror.com/2007/011807/news1.html Samer Elatrash, Ben's Ends], ''[[Montreal Mirror]]'' Jan 18–24, 2007: Vol. 22 No. 30  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609005743/http://www.montrealmirror.com/2007/011807/news1.html |date=June 9, 2008 }}</ref> The large red letters from above the main entrance are now on display in the Communication Studies and Journalism (CJ) building on the Loyola campus of [[Concordia University]]<ref name="Mirror">{{cite news|last=Hays|first=Matthew|title=Signs of the times|url=http://www.montrealmirror.com/2010/052010/news3.html|access-date=May 20, 2010|newspaper=[[Montreal Mirror]]|date=May 20, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524090012/http://www.montrealmirror.com/2010/052010/news3.html|archive-date=May 24, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> as part of the Montreal Signs Project. The MSP also holds much of the exterior signage, though this is not on display due to its fragility.
==Notable events==
The National Film Board documentary ''[[Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Leonard Cohen|Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr Leonard Cohen]]'' interviewed Leonard Cohen at Bens Deli in 1965 (seen at 32 minutes and 49 seconds into the [https://www.nfb.ca/film/ladies_and_gentlemen_mr_leonard_cohen/ film]).
In a notable historic event, Bens Deli hosted the official unveiling of Canada's two-dollar coin: dubbed "the [[toonie]]", on February 19, 1996. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://canadiancoinnews.com/mint-gives-birth-toonie/ | title=OTD: Mint gives birth to toonie | date=February 19, 2021 | access-date=March 21, 2023 | archive-date=March 21, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321055428/https://canadiancoinnews.com/mint-gives-birth-toonie/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
An exhibit about Bens was held at the McCord Museum in 2014. "Bens: The Legendary Deli" displayed some 100 artifacts, including menus, photos, dishes, and testimonials.
==See also==
* [[List of Ashkenazi Jewish restaurants]]
* [[List of delicatessens]]
* {{portal-inline|Food}}
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
==Further reading==
'''Canada.com'''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080609005832/http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=914af524-d05f-40ac-a030-e41db7b2c00e&k=42238 "Foundation lists most endangered buildings in Canada"]
'''CBC News'''
* [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bens-restaurant-closes-forever-1.622711 "Bens restaurant closes forever"]
'''The Montreal Gazette'''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080609010026/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/montreal/story.html?id=ca240e6d-be16-4bf6-8cbd-179428e50dcf&k=88066 "Lean times for Staff at Ben's"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080609010021/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/montreal/story.html?id=ab15c6fb-3f7a-4209-97dd-ec213b4b564c "Staff sets table for Ben's meeting"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929145754/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/montreal/story.html?id=20cbcfab-9344-46c9-bc32-d77591cabdb5 "Landmark eatery still shut by strike"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080609010011/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=d10cbe37-39b6-4bd0-8647-bc6aeca7a25b "After 57 years, it's bye-bye Ben's"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101103215029/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=f29d7a30-f182-4300-b85e-a8737693c7a8 "Ben's bitting the dust"]
==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101101120611/http://citynoise.org/article/7969 "Photographic documentary, and discussion, of Bens building's gradual demolition" (archive)]
{{Montreal landmarks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bens De Luxe Delicatessen and Restaurant}}
[[Category:1908 establishments in Quebec]]
[[Category:2006 disestablishments in Quebec]]
[[Category:Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Montreal]]
[[Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1950]]
[[Category:Defunct restaurants in Montreal]]
[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Montreal]]
[[Category:Downtown Montreal]]
[[Category:Jewish Canadian history]]
[[Category:Jewish delicatessens in Canada]]
[[Category:Jews and Judaism in Montreal]]
[[Category:Restaurants disestablished in 2006]]
[[Category:Restaurants established in 1908]]
[[Category:Streamline Moderne architecture in Canada]]
[[Category:Lithuanian-Jewish diaspora]]
[[Category:Ukrainian-Jewish diaspora]]
[[Category:Ashkenazi Jewish restaurants]]