Lester’s Deli is an exception in the restaurant world. While nearly 85% of restaurants close before celebrating their 10the anniversary, according to the Association restauration Québec, the establishment on Bernard Avenue will mark its 70th anniversary in November. The recipe for its success? “Love of customers,” replies its owner, Billy Berenholc.
November 1951: Lester’s Deli welcomes its first customers. Seven decades have passed, and yet one has the impression of stepping back into that era when seated there. “We try to keep the spirit of the 1950s and 1960s”, says Berenholc. This desire goes through small details: iced bocks to serve soft drinks, the reproduction in the window of a photo of the restaurant taken in 1951, the hand-painted menu or the dozens of trinkets and frames that decorate the walls. . On this subject, the owner admits to liking garage sales. “I started with two or three tablets and the giant matchbox,” he says, pointing to the object that sits above the long bench.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Smoked meat is Lester’s Deli’s most popular dish. Some 95% of customers order it, estimates the owner.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The decoration of the premises adds to the uniqueness of the restaurant.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The smoked meat recipe has been the same since the 1950s.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Maurice Tieteltolman is one of the regulars.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
This image is a reproduction of a photo of the restaurant taken in 1951.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The menu on the wall is hand painted.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Lester’s Deli products can be delivered anywhere in Canada.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Lester’s Deli delivery cars.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The specialty of Lester’s Deli: smoked meat.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The dozens of trinkets and frames that decorate the walls.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The recipe for smoked meat has not changed since Billy Berenholc’s father bought the restaurant a few years after it opened.
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This retro atmosphere appeals to customers. “It’s one of the best delis in Montreal, if not the best. There are other good ones, but here it feels like home. It reminds us of good old days », Emphasizes Maurice Tieteltolman. What should we order, according to this regular customer? The smoked meat, of course. This is what 95% of customers do, says the owner.
The recipe for this classic hasn’t changed since Billy Berenholc’s father bought the restaurant a few years after it opened. The latter has already told him that he chose catering because he had nothing to eat in his country of origin, Poland. By owning a restaurant, he could at least make sure to feed his family. Ultimately, it will have nourished an entire neighborhood, even a city, because Lester’s Deli has become a staple of the Montreal culinary scene. Today, it even leaves the borders of the metropolis thanks to a range of products that can be delivered anywhere in Canada.
Due to the pandemic, Billy Berenholc does not have the heart to organize an event for the 70 years of the restaurant. However, he finds it important to mark this anniversary in order to thank his employees, some of whom have worked at Lester’s Deli for over 20 years. And to customers, he wants to say this: “Thank you for 70 years. ”
1057, avenue Bernard, Montreal
Visit the Lester’s Deli website