Helfand's Deli In Worcester Closing Highland Street Eatery

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester will lose its only New York-style deli on Saturday when Helfand's closes its eatery along Highland Street.

The deli opened in fall 2022 in the former Sahara restaurant space founded by friends Carl Goldstein, David Cohen, Andy Davis and Ward McLaughlin. They named the deli after the Yiddish word for elephant, "a symbol of luck and prosperity."

"Elephants represent long life, wisdom, and vitality as well as great strength and the ability to remove obstacles. The four friends knew that to succeed in this venture they would need luck, wisdom, and a lot of vitality," the deli said in a 2022 social media post.

But labor shortages and the high cost of goods over the last two years felled the elephant.

“As many restaurants are experiencing the high cost of food and the significant labor shortage we find ourselves unable to properly serve you. The compliments of our food quality and the team we had serving you were greatly appreciated. Your patronage did not go unnoticed,” a farewell message posted Friday said.

The deli's last day will be Saturday, and the business is planning an event to feed local veterans as a goodbye.

Any patrons with outstanding gift card balances can email info@helfandsdeli.com for a refund.

Helfand's is the latest in a series of Worcester restaurants that have closed in 2024, including The District Wood Fired Kitchen, Lock 50 and Maker to Main, a hyperlocal supermarket with hot food service.