Zingerman's Delicatessen

What Zingerman's Delicatessen does

Zingerman's Delicatessen is a specialty food retailer and Jewish-style delicatessen founded in March 1982 by Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig, operating from a historic 1902 building at 422 Detroit Street in the Kerrytown District of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company serves made-to-order sandwiches using premium ingredients (Black Angus corned beef, pastrami, free-range poultry, housemade chopped liver and chicken salad) priced at $16.50–$23.99, alongside a curated retail grocery assortment of 5,000+ specialty items including farmhouse cheeses, varietal olive oils, smoked fish, salami, locally roasted coffee, and tea. Adjacent operations include the Next Door Café (coffee and pastries, opened 1991), Zingerman's Catering & Events (launched 1996 for events from intimate gatherings to those serving thousands), and the Greyline event venue (opened 2016 for up to 200 guests). Ticketed educational experiences — Small Bite Sessions, Hands-On Mozzarella Making, cheese tastings, and seasonal celebrations like the annual Fiesta de España Paella Party — generate a secondary experiential revenue stream at $15–$90 per attendee. The Deli operates as part of the broader Zingerman's Community of Businesses, an affiliated network of 11+ independently-owned food and service companies (Bakehouse, Candy Manufactory, Coffee Company, Roadhouse, etc.) collectively employing approximately 700 partners, managers, and staff, though the Deli entity itself has 36 employees and is held under Zing IP, LLC, a Michigan limited liability company. Distribution combines a single brick-and-mortar flagship storefront, Snackpass-powered online ordering for pickup and local delivery ($6.99 within 3 miles), mail order through the affiliated Zingerman's business, and event-based off-premise catering. The company is privately held with no institutional investment, draws 500,000+ visitors annually, and has been recognized by Travel + Leisure as an American food icon, by Food & Wine as a top 25 food market globally, and by Inc. as "the coolest small company in America," with a James Beard Award finalist designation for Outstanding Service.

Name

Zingerman's Delicatessen

Legal name

Zing IP, LLC

Website

https://zingermansdeli.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Zingerman's Delicatessen is a 40+ year-old specialty food retailer and Jewish-style deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan, serving premium made-to-order sandwiches, artisanal groceries, café fare, catering, and educational tasting events to roughly 500,000 visitors annually as the flagship of the 11+ business Zingerman's Community of Businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food Retail / Deli Restaurant

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAHAKAA

Freshly Made Grab-and-Go (Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads)

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Foodservice-to-Go & In-Store Prepared Foods (Grab-and-Go)

SECONDARYCRAHAKAC

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

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Foodservice-to-Go & In-Store Prepared Foods (Grab-and-Go)

Keywords

• Artisan deli sandwiches
• Specialty food retail
• Event catering services
• Artisanal cheese selection
• Food tasting classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sandwiches and Prepared Foods: Made-to-order sandwiches including signature items like Zingerman's Reuben, corned beef, pastrami, turkey, chicken, and vegetarian options. Also includes soups, salads, and sides.
2. Specialty Grocery Retail: Artisanal cheeses, olive oils, vinegars, smoked fish, salami, coffee, tea, bread from Zingerman's Bakehouse, and specialty pantry items sold by weight or unit
3. Catering Services: Full-service catering for events from intimate gatherings to events for thousands, including delivery and setup
4. Next Door Café: Adjacent café serving coffee, pastries, chocolates, and light fare
5. Gift Cards: Gift cards valid at all brick and mortar Zingerman's businesses
6. Events and Tastings: Ticketed educational events including cheese tastings, cooking classes, wine pairings, and seasonal celebrations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zingerman's Delicatessen is a single-location deli and specialty food market that prepares made-to-order sandwiches with premium housemade ingredients (e.g., Black Angus corned beef and pastrami, free-range turkey and chicken, housemade chopped liver) and retails an assortment of artisanal cheeses, olive oils, vinegars, smoked fish, salami, coffee, and tea. The Deli also operates an adjacent café (Next Door), an off-premise catering business, an event venue (Greyline), and a calendar of paid educational tasting and cheese-making classes.

Product overview

Zingerman's Delicatessen is a single-location specialty food retailer and restaurant that operates as a unified offering rather than a platform. The core product is the main deli (opened 1982) offering made-to-order sandwiches with premium housemade ingredients. Supporting offerings include: Next Door Café (coffee and pastries), Zingerman's Catering & Events (off-site catering), Deli Tastings and Events (educational classes including Hands-On Mozzarella Making and Small Bite Sessions), Specialty Foods/Groceries (premium artisan ingredients), Gift Cards, and Zingerman's Greyline (event venue). The business also hosts recurring events like annual Paella Parties and monthly Sandwich of the Month specials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zingerman's Delicatessen (Main Deli) The flagship storefront offering made-to-order deli sandwiches (including signature items such as the Zingerman's Reuben, Dave's Open Road, and Rodger's Big Picnic) alongside specialty groceries including farmhouse cheeses, olive oils, vinegars, smoked fish, salami, coffee, and tea, for walk-in retail and local delivery customers.
• Next Door Café Coffee shop located adjacent to the main deli, serving locally roasted coffee, tea, pastries, chocolates, and light fare daily from 7am to 7pm, with online ordering via Snackpass.
• Zingerman's Catering & Events Full-service catering offering for corporate events, weddings, and private parties, handling delivery, setup, and on-site service for groups ranging from small gatherings to events for thousands of guests.
• Specialty Foods / Groceries Retail assortment of premium, often exclusive, specialty grocery items including farmhouse cheeses, varietal olive oils, vinegars, smoked fish, artisanal salami, locally roasted coffee, and teas, hand-selected from artisan producers and available in-store and online.
• Gift Cards Stored-value gift cards redeemable at any brick-and-mortar Zingerman's business, available for in-person, phone, and online e-delivery purchase.
• Zingerman's Greyline Event venue for up to 200 guests located in downtown Ann Arbor, available for private events and celebrations as part of Zingerman's events portfolio.
• Hands-On Mozzarella Making Classes Ticketed, hands-on cheese-making classes led by Deli Monger Connor Valone in partnership with BelGioioso, where participants learn mozzarella and burrata techniques and take home approximately two pounds of cheese.
• Small Bite Sessions 30-minute ticketed tasting classes ($15 per person) that introduce favorite foods through compare-and-contrast formats, covering topics such as Spanish olive oils, cheese, and cured meats.
• Paella Party Events Annual Spanish-themed paella celebration offering both pickup pans ($50 per pan serving 2–3) and an on-patio dining experience ($90 per person) with paella, tapas, Spanish wine samples, and a 20% off shopping coupon.
• Deli Tastings and Events Calendar Programmed calendar of guided tasting classes, educational food sessions, wine pairings, and seasonal celebrations available to consumers, with calendar subscription integration for event discovery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Half a million visitors annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Forever Cheese, D.O. Rueda Verdejo, D.O. Ribera del DuerominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2026Event partners for annual Fiesta de España Paella Party. Partners provide Spanish wines, artisanal cheeses, and gourmet provisions for the event featuring paella, tapas, and Spanish wine tastings.
• Teffola (Seventh Generation Family Farm)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021Local collaboration producing Cherry Cacao Granola using teff grain grown by seventh-generation family farm in Addison, Michigan. Partnership supports local agriculture and introduces ancient Ethiopian grain to Michigan consumers.
• Food GathererscoreOthers · 1 January 1988Michigan's first food rescue program and sixth in the United States. Founded by Zingerman's Delicatessen in 1988. Serves Washtenaw County with mission to alleviate hunger. First food rescue program to be founded by a for-profit business.
• BelGioiosominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Mozzarella Making classes. BelGioioso, an Italian-American cheese company founded in 1979, provides cheese-making expertise and products for educational tastings. Classes taught by Deli Monger Connor Valone include hands-on mozzarella and burrata making.
• Various Specialty Food ProducerscoreOthersLong-term relationships with artisan producers worldwide including Il Mongetto (anchovy stuffed peppers), Mahjoub Family (couscous), ROI Olive Oil (Italian olive oils from Boeri family, 5th generation), Ortiz (Spanish tuna), and many others. Products featured in annual Summer Sale.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Katz's Delicatessen: NYC's most iconic Jewish delicatessen, founded in 1888 and famous for its pastrami, Reuben, and made-to-order sandwich counter. Closest direct peer to Zingerman's in terms of category (Jewish-style deli), made-to-order premium sandwich model, and cult destination status.
• Russ & Daughters: Fourth-generation NYC appetizing icon specializing in smoked fish, bagels, caviar, and Jewish specialty foods, with both a flagship counter and mail order business. Comparable to Zingerman's as a multi-generational, Jewish-heritage specialty food destination blending retail grocery with made-to-order foodservice and national mail order.
• 2nd Avenue Deli: Kosher Jewish deli in NYC serving hand-carved pastrami, corned beef, and traditional deli platters, with a catering operation. Directly comparable to Zingerman's on product category (Jewish deli fare), made-to-order sandwich counter, and catering revenue stream.
• Mile End Delicatessen: Montreal-born Jewish deli now operating in Brooklyn, known for house-cured and hand-sliced Montreal smoked meat, Reuben sandwiches, and housemade bagels. A direct peer in the modern Jewish deli category with a comparable commitment to housemade, hand-sliced meats and a strong specialty grocery component.
• Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen: San Francisco-based Jewish deli and bakery serving house-cured pastrami, Reuben sandwiches, and Jewish comfort food, with multiple locations and a catering business. Direct peer to Zingerman's in terms of modern Jewish deli positioning, housemade cured meats, and specialty grocery retail.
• Di Bruno Bros. Philadelphia-based specialty food retailer and Italian marketplace offering artisanal cheeses, cured meats, prepared foods, sandwiches, and catering with multiple retail locations. Direct peer to Zingerman's on the combined specialty grocery + deli counter + catering model and commitment to artisan-producer sourcing.
• Frankel's Delicatessen: Brooklyn-based modern Jewish deli serving house-cured pastrami, Reuben sandwiches, and housemade deli items with a strong specialty grocery component. Comparable to Zingerman's on the modern Jewish deli positioning, hand-sliced cured meats, and emphasis on housemade ingredients.

Broad incumbents

• Eataly: Italian marketplace concept combining sit-down restaurants, counters, and specialty grocery retail under one roof, with multiple U.S. locations. Broad incumbent peer to Zingerman's: overlapping in the prepared-food-plus-specialty-grocery retail model and destination dining, but operating at much larger scale and as a multi-unit chain rather than a single iconic location.

Emerging players

• Murray's Cheese: Specialty cheese shop and cheesemonger with retail locations in NYC and a cheese bar, plus mail order and educational classes. Comparable to Zingerman's on the specialty food retail + educational events model, with overlapping artisan-producer relationships and a similar premium positioning in the cheese category.
• Bedford Cheese Shop: NYC-based specialty food shop focused on artisanal cheese, cured meats, and gourmet pantry items with catering and events programming. Comparable to Zingerman's on the specialty grocery + events/tastings model and premium artisan-producer positioning, though smaller in scale and absent the Jewish deli heritage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ZingermansDeli
• Instagraminstagram.com/zingermansdeli

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Zingerman's Delicatessen