Katz's Delicatessen

What Katz's Delicatessen does

Katz's Delicatessen is a privately held, family-owned New York Jewish delicatessen founded in 1888 on the Lower East Side, currently operating two physical locations — the flagship at 205 East Houston Street in Manhattan and a second Brooklyn site — alongside a nationwide e-commerce shipping business, a dedicated catering platform, a monthly subscription program, and a national pop-up activation circuit. The company produces hand-carved deli meats (pastrami, corned beef, brisket, turkey) using a proprietary 30-day brine-pickle, spice-rub, 3-day smoke, 3-hour boil, and steam curing process without chemical injection, a deliberate contrast to commercial 36-hour pressure-injected curing. Core technology is craft-based rather than software-based; commerce operations run on Square's platform with Authorize.net and PayPal for payment processing and FedEx/UPS for fulfillment. Distribution spans in-store counter service, Manhattan local delivery, nationwide shipping, dedicated B2B/event catering, festival and pop-up appearances, and a recurring $450/month subscription package.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: (1) in-store dine-in and counter sales (e.g., pastrami sandwich $28.95, matzoh ball soup $9.95); (2) nationwide e-commerce shipping of meats by the pound ($38-$40/lb), curated gift packages ($135-$170), and Jewish specialties; (3) sales-led catering through catering.katzsdelicatessen.com with structured packages (Hot Sandwich Platters from $200, Classic NYC Package $400, Corporate Luncheon $435, Giant Heroes $250+); (4) a recurring Classic Subscription at $450/month on 3-month-to-annual terms; and (5) branded merchandise. Customer segments are distributed across individual D2C consumers (long-tail e-commerce and dine-in), corporate/event catering buyers, and festival/event attendees — with no disclosed enterprise anchor concentration. Ownership rests with the Dell family (Martin, Alan, Fred Austin) since the 1988 centennial, with third-generation Jake Dell managing major operations since 2009. The company has no disclosed external funding or private equity backing and operates as two New York corporations: KATZ DELICATESSEN OF HOUSTON STREET, INC. (operating entity) and KATZ'S DELICATESSEN SHIPPING, INC. (e-commerce subsidiary).

Name

Katz's Delicatessen

Legal name

KATZ DELICATESSEN OF HOUSTON STREET, INC.

Website

https://katzsdelicatessen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Katz's Delicatessen, founded in 1888, operates two NYC restaurant locations and a nationwide e-commerce shipping, catering, and subscription business built around its proprietary 30-day hand-carved pastrami and corned beef, serving individual consumers, gift-givers, and corporate catering clients across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Delicatessen / Jewish Deli Foods

NAICS

Other Food Manufacturing (3119), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Meat Retailers (44524)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Cold Prepared Foods & Meal Components (Sides, Proteins, Family Meals) (CRAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shelf-Stable/Retort Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (AFANAFAE), Butcher Shops & Meat Markets (CRAHAHAB)

Keywords

• Delicatessen dining
• Hand-carved meats
• Jewish deli food
• Nationwide food shipping
• Event catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. In-Store Dining: Katz's generates revenue from dine-in customers at its two New York City locations (Manhattan at 205 East Houston St and Brooklyn). Customers order at the counter from a menu featuring signature sandwiches (e.g., pastrami sandwich at $28.95, matzoh ball soup at $9.95), with table and counter seating available. The deli also offers private events and group reservations.
2. Nationwide E-commerce Shipping: Katz's ships its deli products nationwide through its e-commerce storefront. Products include hand-carved meats by the pound (pastrami $40/lb, corned beef $38/lb), gift packages (Taste of New York $170, Birthday Box $145, Triple Classic $165), and merchandise. This stream serves hundreds of thousands of customers annually.
3. Catering Services: Katz's operates a dedicated catering business through catering.katzsdelicatessen.com, offering platters and packages for events. Catering products include hot sandwich platters (starting at $200), classic NYC packages ($400), corporate luncheons ($435), and giant heroes (3-foot heroes at $250, 6-foot heroes at higher prices). Catering sales are handled via phone (212-254-2246) and email.
4. Subscription Package: The Classic Subscription provides monthly deliveries of deli meats and fixings (2 lbs pastrami, 1 lb corned beef, rye bread, knishes, pickles, condiments, babka) at $450 per monthly shipment. Subscriptions are available in 3-month increments with best value on full-year commitments, delivered on the third Thursday of each month.
5. Merchandise and Specialty Products: Katz's sells branded merchandise including T-shirts ($25), sweatshirts, hats, tote bags, aprons, candles, gift cards ($25-$100), and collectible pins through its e-commerce platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Katz's Delicatessen operates an iconic Jewish delicatessen business centered on hand-carved pastrami, corned beef, brisket, and other traditional deli meats prepared using a proprietary 30-day curing process. The company sells its products through two NYC dine-in locations (Manhattan and Brooklyn), nationwide e-commerce shipping, gift packages, a monthly subscription box, branded merchandise, and event catering services.

Product overview

Katz's Delicatessen is an iconic New York delicatessen established in 1888, offering a single unified product portfolio centered on hand-carved deli meats and traditional Jewish deli food. The core offerings include signature hand-carved pastrami, corned beef, brisket, and turkey (cured using traditional 30-day methods), served both in-store at two Manhattan/Brooklyn locations and shipped nationwide. The product ecosystem spans: (1) Hand-Carved Deli Meats sold by the pound for home preparation; (2) In-Store Dining and Local Delivery featuring signature sandwiches like the Pastrami Sandwich and Matzoh Ball Soup; (3) Nationwide Shipping Service delivering products directly to customers nationwide; (4) Gift Packages including Birthday Box, Taste of New York, Essentials Package, Reuben Package, and Deli Duo with Dr. Brown's; (5) Catering Services with Hot/Cold Sandwich Platters, Classic NYC Package, and various sides and desserts; (6) Subscription Service (Classic Subscription Package) delivering monthly deli selections; (7) Jewish Specialties including traditional items like Knishes, Gefilte Fish, and Chopped Liver; (8) Merchandise including apparel and branded items. The company partnered with Square's commerce platform to modernize operations and expand its digital presence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hand-Carved Deli Meats Signature hand-carved deli meats including pastrami ($40/lb), corned beef ($38/lb), brisket, turkey, tongue, and salami, cured using a traditional slower 30-day method without chemical additives, available for nationwide shipping and in-store purchase.
• Pastrami Sandwich The signature sandwich featuring hand-carved pastrami on rye bread, priced at $28.95, served at Katz's two NYC dine-in locations.
• Nationwide Shipping Service Nationwide shipping service delivering Katz's deli products directly to customers across the United States, serving hundreds of thousands of customers annually via FedEx and UPS fulfillment.
• Catering Services Full-service catering offerings including hot and cold sandwich platters, meat platters, packages, sides, desserts, and giant heroes (3-foot and 6-foot) for events of various sizes, from corporate lunches to private parties.
• Katz's Classic Subscription Package Monthly subscription delivering 2 lbs sliced pastrami, 1 lb sliced corned beef, rye bread, potato knishes, pickles, deli mustard, sauerkraut, Reuben dressing, and chocolate babka, priced at $450 per monthly shipment.
• Katz's Birthday Box Birthday-themed gift package featuring Katz's deli classics, priced at $145, shipped nationwide.
• Taste of New York Package Curated selection of New York deli classics shipped nationwide, priced at $165-$170.
• Jewish Specialties Traditional Jewish deli specialties including Matzoh Ball Soup, Square and Round Knishes, Gefilte Fish, Chopped Liver, Whitefish Salad, Nova Lox, Kishka (Stuffed Derma), Pickled Tomatoes, Cole Slaw, and Noodle Kugel.
• Desserts Dessert offerings including Rugelach, Babka, Mini Black and White Cookies, and New York Cheesecake, available for nationwide shipping.
• Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including T-shirts (from $25), sweatshirts, hats, aprons, coffee mugs, tote bags, candles, gift cards ($25-$100), and collectible items.
• Katz's Classic NYC Catering Package Full catering package featuring 24 half sandwiches (12 pastrami, 4 corned beef, 4 turkey, 4 brisket), 10 all-beef frankfurters, 10 potato knishes, pickles, and condiments, priced at $400 for 15 guests.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 pounds of pastrami sold at festival debut
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SquarecoreTechnology or Integration · 25 September 2025Katz's Delicatessen selected Square's commerce platform to power operations across its two physical locations and nationwide shipping business. The partnership modernizes payment processing and order management at both NYC locations and scales the e-commerce shipping operation that serves hundreds of thousands of customers annually. Square and Katz's collaborate on national pop-up activations bringing the deli's flavors to cities across America.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 2nd Ave Deli: Iconic NYC Jewish delicatessen founded in 1954 with multiple Manhattan locations. Directly comparable to Katz's in product (pastrami, corned beef, matzoh ball soup), cultural positioning (Jewish deli heritage), and target customer (NYC diners and tourists). Operates a similar counter-service dine-in model with shipping and catering.
• Russ & Daughters: Fourth-generation NYC appetizing shop and Jewish food institution, famous for smoked fish, bagels, and Jewish specialties. Comparable to Katz's in heritage (100+ years), NYC cultural-icon status, hand-prepared specialty foods, nationwide shipping, and family ownership.
• Magnolia Bakery: Iconic NYC bakery (founded 1996) known for banana pudding and cupcakes, with multiple NYC locations, nationwide shipping, catering, and merchandise. Comparable to Katz's as a heritage NYC food brand with multi-channel revenue, shipping, and cultural-icon status.
• Junior's Restaurant: Iconic Brooklyn-based restaurant and cheesecake brand with multiple locations, nationwide shipping of cheesecakes and desserts, and strong cultural recognition. Comparable to Katz's in NYC food-icon status, multi-channel distribution, and brand-driven gifting business.
• Pastrami Queen: Upper East Side Jewish deli specializing in pastrami sandwiches, with locations in NYC and additional presence. Directly comparable to Katz's in product focus (pastrami-forward menu), NYC dine-in model, and counter-service Jewish deli format.
• Mile End Deli: Montreal-style Jewish deli in Brooklyn with a focus on hand-cured and smoked meats. Directly competes in the artisan pastrami/cured-meat category with a similar proprietary smoking and curing approach, and offers nationwide shipping of deli meats.
• Sarge's Delicatessen: Long-standing NYC Jewish deli (founded 1964) in Murray Hill offering traditional deli fare, catering, and shipping. Comparable to Katz's in heritage deli positioning, catering operations, and nationwide shipping of Jewish specialty foods.
• Zabar's: Iconic Upper West Side NYC gourmet food market and appetizing shop founded in 1934. Comparable to Katz's in heritage NYC food-brand positioning, specialty prepared foods, nationwide shipping, and cultural recognition among food enthusiasts.

Others

• Goldbelly: Online marketplace aggregating iconic American foods (including Katz's own products) for nationwide shipping. Comparable as a channel partner and competitive force in the DTC specialty-food shipping space, though Goldbelly is a marketplace rather than a single brand operator.

Broad incumbents

• Harry & David: Established national gourmet food gift brand specializing in fruit, baked goods, and curated food gifts shipped nationwide. Comparable to Katz's in the premium food-gifting category and nationwide shipping business model, though operates at much larger scale across multiple food categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KatzsDeli
• Facebookfacebook.com/katzsdeli/?fref=ts
• Instagraminstagram.com/katzsdeli/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Katz's Delicatessen