Our History in Orange County as a Destination
for Deli & Food Lovers
If you know our history, you know Orange County. Complete with a fantastic menu and friendly servers, a façade to match the era. Benjies NY Deli captures the ambiance of a 70s New York Deli, making us a true Orange County destination for food lovers of all stripes. Our customers have come back time and time again for decades. Take it from Stuart K., whose family has been in the neighborhood for generations.
I have been coming here since it opened in 1967,” he said, “and I will keep coming here, because there is nothing around that compares to the food quality and service.
A Delicatessen Built on Family Traditions
Benjies is so much more than just a delicatessen. Our on-site bar, Avenue K, has 8 flat-screen TVs—making it a destination for sports enthusiasts thirsty for a cold drink and hungry for a hearty meal. Perhaps the most fascinating feature of our Orange County gem is that much of our staff has been with us for 30 years or more. We are family. Our walls are adorned with framed photographs of our employees, commemorating the years we’ve shared and the memories we’ve made. While change is inevitable, and we can’t resist it, it is comforting to know that some things (and places) stay the same. Here’s to 50 more delicious years!
Come to Benjies to experience the best NY-style deli and restaurant this side of the Mississippi.
Founder
Benjies Delicatessen Restaurant
Born in Brooklyn New York in August of 1921, Stan Weinstein was raised with his younger sister Isabel during the depression era in brownstone apartment on Avenue K, in Brooklyn. Graduating Boys’ High, he went on to college as a pre-med student. With his education being interrupted by World War II, he proudly served in the army as a radio and communications specialist in India. While serving in the military, he met the love of his life Eleanor Finegold and they were married in 1946.
With the new responsibilities of marriage and a new baby, he wasn’t able to continue with his education. Instead, he became the breadwinner for his new family.
Working for Eleanor’s family in the “needles trade,” as a cloth cutter in a clothing manufacturing plant, Stan decided to pursue a better life for his family. He picked up the family and moved to Los Angeles, where he continued to work for relatives in the garment industry.
His dream was to open his own business someday. He finally did in the 50’s, purchasing Richies Drive- In restaurant in Garden Grove, complete with roller skating carhops! Stan quickly outgrew Richies. It was decided that it would be torn down and a new full service family dining restaurant would be built in it’s place. Cookies Family Restaurant was built and flourished, but Stan’s dream of owning a New York delicatessen, had not yet been fulfilled.
In 1967, along with two partners, Stan purchased Squires coffee shop here on Tustin Avenue. It was remodeled and opened as Benjies NY Deli on October 8 of 1967, the same location today. It is now run by his son and daughter-in-law Lloyd and Noriko Weinstein, where it has remained as an Icon for 50 years.