Gerard Rudofsky founded Zaidy's in 1985 near the Colorado Capitol before moving the deli to its present location at 121 Adams Street in 1992. There was also a second Zaidy's Deli at 15th and Lawrence streets downtown for several years before it closed in 2009.
And now the original Zaidy's is gone. Rudofsky and his son, Jason, left the following message on the restaurant's website and social media:
To our loyal customers, friends, and family,
After 35 incredible years serving the Denver community, Zaidy’s Deli will be closing its doors indefinitely. We opened our Cherry Creek location in 1992 and it has given us the utmost joy to watch the neighborhood grow and evolve around us for almost three decades. The appreciation we have for the opportunity to serve our family recipes and favorite foods while watching this city flourish right outside our window, is only surpassed by our immense gratitude for you: the people who have welcomed our family into your lives, your homes, your holidays, and your celebrations for so many years. We’ve hosted many life-cycle events, your son’s Bris, your daughter’s Bat Mitzvah, and we’ve celebrated love by catering your weddings. We’ve remembered and mourned those you’ve lost and provided sustenance for your Shiva.
And we’ve loved every moment.
It’s with a heavy heart that we’ve made the decision to stop compromising the integrity and quality of our renowned Jewish comfort food in order to stay open, no matter how much we wish we could. We’d like to thank the Colorado Restaurant Association and the Cherry Creek Chamber of Commerce for their camaraderie and support, particularly during this challenging time. Finally, we’d like to thank Denver’s Jewish community, our invaluable staff, our devoted customers, and our family and friends, who have all walked through our doors time and time again to make Zaidy’s the home away from home we have always wanted it to be.
It’s the memories made at our restaurant, over good food with good company, that we are most proud of and that we’ll undoubtedly miss the most. We’d love for you to share your favorite Zaidy’s memory with us in the comments below.
Although this is goodbye, for now, we hope to someday share the legacy and traditions of Zaidy’s Deli with the next generation. To stay up to date with our story and future endeavors, please send your comments and email addresses to: [email protected] or follow us on Instagram @ZAIDYSDELI
With gratitude,
Gerard and Jason Rudofsky and the Zaidy’s Family
That closing statement leaves hope that the deli will someday reopen.
In the meantime, the city has other venerable delis, including the Bagel Deli, now more than fifty years old, and New York Deli News, which opened in 1989, both on East Hampden Avenue. And newer eateries such as Leven Deli, Rye Society and Rosenberg's Bagels & Deli have opened in recent years, attracting a younger generation of deli lovers.
