Myer’s Deli celebrates 65 years

River Heights

Fort Garry

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This article was published 11/10/2023 (767 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The recipe for success, according to Harrison Steek, owner of Myer’s Delicatessen, is simple — classic rye sandwich, pickles, applejack, and local ingredients.

It’s worked so far, as the local deli, located at 1842 Grant Ave., is celebrating 65 years of business on Oct. 20. Although the day will be “business as usual,” Myer’s will be thanking customers and local neighbours with visits from key suppliers, such as Johnny’s Bakery, and friendly hand-outs of Coca-Cola (a Myer’s staple), cookies, and other fresh treats.

“It’ll be a fun day,” said Steek — as statement which is reflective of the River Heights joint as a whole.

“Happiness sums (the identity) up,” he said. “The longtime staff is fantastic. We get along like family … Great customers become great friends. We don’t just see them here, we see them out in the community.”

Steek also credits family support, often generational, and the strong involvement in the local Jewish community.

“(Some customers) say they just went to school down the block, and now they bring their kids here,” Steek said.

Despite its long history, the building was, visually, a “blank slate” when Steek acquired it in 2010. “We saw a lot of potential in the physicality of the space.”

Myer’s Deli is decorated top to bottom with relics of Winnipeg’s past. Signed portraits of musical greats such as Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole line the walls of the entrance, and everything from the lamps to the cash register are donated either from local businesses or customers who simply drop the items off.

Most of the items date from 1920 to 1950, said Garth Steek, Harrison’s father, co-worker and longtime city councillor for River Heights-Fort Garry (1995-2004). Most are displayed out of appreciation of the style of art from that period, he explained, but also to remind new, younger customers of the shifts of civil rights and the political landscape in the time the deli has been around.

Harrison Steek is the third owner of Myer’s. He purchased it from Danny Weinberg, who bought the deli from Myer Ludwig, its original owner, in 1978.

“When this first opened (in 1958) … Silverwoods Dairy — (which was later acquired by Ault Foods and went defunct in the 1990s) — wanted to have a presence in this end of the city,” Steek said. “They staked (Ludwig) in it, they opened it up, and they paid it off in a year.”

“This location, at the time, was at the end of the city,” Steek continued, adding, with a laugh, that there was basically just a field beyond Grant Avenue. “But now we’re so central, although we’ve never moved. Now, we’re a staple in the community, I’d like to think.”

The deli’s staple meal, alongside meats, cheese, and dairy products, is consistently the classic smoked meat sandwich, Steek said, made with meat brought in from Montreal and preparation “left to the guys who’ve been doing it for 100 years.

“My dad’s working here, my sister’s working here, my brother has worked here, my kids drop in … We’re nothing without the great staff and familial support,” Steek said.

Myer’s Delicatessen is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. You can also find it online at www.myersdeli.com