Bayside Kosher Deli Chain Celebrates 50th Anniversary

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — A kosher restaurant and delicatessen chain in Bayside is celebrating its 50th year serving brisket, kugel, and stuffed cabbage to customers across the New York City metro area.

Ben's Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers opened its first outpost on the Upper West Side in 1972 with Ben Dragoon at the helm.

Ronald Dragoon, the deli's current owner, took over the business from his father in the 1980s, at which point it rapidly expanded across NYC, Westchester, Long Island, and (predictably) Florida.

"There was a time I worked seven straight years without a day off except for the Jewish holidays," he told Patch reporter Jerry Barmash. "I opened it and I closed it. I worked 103 hours a week."

The pandemic, however, took a toll on business he said, noting that Ben's had to close its Scarsdale outpost a couple of weeks before Rosh Hashana last year.

The Bay Terrace location, however, has picked up the slack, driving the deli's usual slate of synagogue catering and shiva orders across the Throgs Neck Bridge to Westchester.

All told, Ben's currently operates six locations — two in New York City (including in Bayside), three on Long Island, and its largest outpost in Boca Raton.

Ben's is also contending with meat supply chain problems, like a backlog in bologna, which lead to an increase in prices on the supply chain and restaurant side.

"I'm a consumer and I feel my prices are too high," Dragoon admits. "I have no choice. It's either that or go out of business."

Despite these difficulties, Dragoon, now 73-years-old, is proud of his business and the way he's adapted over time (like adding plant-based selections alongside the usual menu of pastrami and brisket).

"It's been an interesting journey. I take pride in all the stores," Dragoon said. "I'm passionate about them."

Ben's of Bayside is located at 211-37 26 Avenue in the Bay Terrace Mall. It is open for takeout from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It is also open for indoor dining (for vaccinated customers) from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Read the full interview with Ronald Dragoon on the Rockville Centre Patch here.