Chick and Ruth's In Annapolis Celebrate 50 Years In Business
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ)--When it opened, Lyndon Johnson was president, a stamp cost a nickel and gas was 31-cents a gallon. It was 1965 when Chick and Ruth Levitt opened their delicatessen in Annapolis and now the legendary deli is celebrating 50 years of memories on Main Street.
WJZ's Ron Matz has more.
On Main Street they've been cooking for half a century. This is Chick and Ruth's, a deli that governors, tourists and regulars call home.
"I've been coming here a long time. I used to work here for 11 years; it's just like a family place. We come in and sit with a group of people and we have breakfast and have a great time," said Barry Rollins.
And the Levitt family has their table.
"My parents started the business, It was a lot smaller then," said Ted Levitt, co-owner of Chick and Ruth's Delly. "My mom and dad started working every day together. They worked together every day for 30 years until my mom passed."
Ted Levitt's dad Chick and mom Ruth opened the doors in August 1965.
If you remember the TV show "Cheers" it's the same here, a place where everybody knows your name.
Joe O'Neill loves the hot coffee and what the Levitt's do for our wounded warriors.
"Both Chick and Ruth have passed, but it's still a ma and pa business with Ted and Beth," said Joey Olmo, an employee at Chick and Ruth's. "Working here has been one of the best experiences, especially getting to know all the people I've met."
They recite the pledge every morning and it's part of what makes this legendary deli so special.
"The politicians started to come in. It started with Governor Mandel, he became very good friends with my father," said Ted Levitt. "Because Mandel came in, everybody followed him including senators, congressmen and delegates. They came to lunch all the time and still do to this day, we've been very lucky."
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration at Chick and Ruth's on Sunday, they'll be giving away gift cards and the Levitt's will match every contribution customers make to their charity, Faces of Valor USA, which helps wounded warriors.
