Chick And Ruth's Conquers Inflation, Shipping Delays On Pandemic's 2nd Anniversary

ANNAPOLIS, MD — History runs deep at Chick and Ruth's Delly. The restaurant has developed some unique traditions in its 57 years of serving downtown Annapolis.

A tub of free pickles graces each table. Colossal challenges also tempt eaters into trying 6-pound milkshakes and 3-pound sandwiches.

Situated in the state capital, the eatery is intertwined with Maryland politics. Customers recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. A menu wall features items named after local lawmakers, and there's even a booth reserved for the governor.

Chick and Ruth's is grateful for the government's support throughout COVID-19, but the deli faces a new set of challenges at the pandemic's two-year mark. Inflation is raising the price of food, and shipping delays are making it harder to restock.

Owner Spencer Jones was encouraged by President Joe Bident's State of the Union address last week. The restaurateur watched the speech as a virtual guest of Sen. Ben Cardin.

"I thought it was great that President Biden sort of called out inflation," Spencer Jones told Patch. "That's a huge one for us. It's a huge one for our guests."

The value of a dollar has decreased since the coronavirus struck. It currently takes $1.10 to buy something that used to cost $1 in March 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This has affected some of the most common ingredients at Chick and Ruth's.

"[The] peanut oil price has gone through the roof," Spencer Jones said, pointing to supply chain issues. "Crab prices were insane last year."

A pound of lump crab meat used to cost $30 per pound before the pandemic. That price jumped to $50 last summer, Eater DC reported. The market has since settled down, but crab meat is still more expensive than it used to be.

Global shipping delays are another logistical hurdle. The restaurant couldn't get any potato chips last week, for example.

Chick and Ruth's has dodged most major shipping pains, however.

"Our kitchen manager does phenomenal," General Manager Stacie Dirzuweit said. "He's got a great relationship with all the companies that deliver to us."

Despite these obstacles, it's mostly business as usual at Chick and Ruth's. The eatery first exceeded pre-pandemic sales in late 2021.

The omicron variant threw a wrench in that progress. A few employees got sick during that winter surge, and the deli was slightly slower in January.

Spencer Jones expects to rebound this month. He also anticipates a busy summer.

"We are open for business," the Northern Virginia native said. "We want people to come out to Annapolis and hang out."

Tourists flock to the city during the warmer months, and downtown businesses welcome a spike in sales. Chick and Ruth's caters to these visitors with its 10 hotel rooms above the restaurant.

The business remodeled its bed and breakfast in 2020. The Scotlaur Inn now offers modern amenities spread across two floors.

Also known as The Inn on Main, the rooms generate less than a tenth of the eatery's revenue. Spencer Jones still appreciates this additional source of income.

Chick and Ruth's opened in 1965 when Charles "Chick" Levitt launched the business with his wife, Ruth Levitt.

Their son, Ted Levitt, took over after the couple died. He ran the establishment with his wife, Beth Levitt.

The Levitt family sold the deli to Keith Jones in fall 2017. Keith Jones died in January 2021. He was 58.

Keith Jones passed Chick and Ruth's on to Spencer Jones, his son and the restaurant's current president.

Spencer Jones had just graduated from Virginia Tech and started working in Wisconsin before his father's death. Now 23, Spencer Jones hopes to continue his dad's legacy.

"He was always somebody who was very willing to help other people," Spencer Jones said. "It's important to me that we take care of our guests, that we take care of our employees."

The Chick and Ruth's owner recently showed that commitment by creating a 401(k) plan for his team. Workers appreciated this generosity.

Employees see Spencer Jones as "a split image of his dad," the general manager said.

Spencer Jones thinks that's the "highest compliment" he could get.

Chick and Ruth's is currently growing its staff of roughly 50. Interested servers and cooks can apply by bringing their résumé to the eatery or emailing it to chickruth165@outlook.com.

The deli is located at 165 Main Street. Customers can call (410) 269-6737 or visit chickandruths.com for more information. Residents can also follow the business on Facebook and Instagram.

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