Ben's Delicatessen

(adapted from Wikipedia)

Bens De Luxe Delicatessen and Restaurant was a
renowned delicatessen in Montreal. The restaurant was best known for its famous smoked meat sandwich and its claim of being the originator of the dish. During its heyday it was a favorite spot for celebrities and a popular late-night dining fixture in the downtown core. It had been in operation for nearly a century, spanning from 1908 to 2006. At 98 years old, it was the oldest deli in the city at the time of its closing.

Latvian immigrants Ben and Fanny Kravitz first
opened the restaurant in 1908 as a small counter shop restaurant on Saint Lawrence Boulevard in Montreal. In 1929, it relocated downtown at de Maisonneuve (formerly Burnside) and Mansfield, and then to its final location on de Maisonneuve and Metcalfe in 1950. The restaurant was open 23 hours a day, closed for only one hour for cleaning. The 1001 Burnside location, then in the theatre district and behind the Sheraton Mount Royal Hotel, was a popular late-night dining haunt for celebrities and movie stars.

In later years Kravitz passed the business on to his son, Irving Kravitz, who would often be seen working at the deli.

During its time many well known or famous people
frequented the restaurant, including Canadian Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau and Paul Martin, Quebec Premier René Lévesque, entertainers Leonard Cohen, Ed Sullivan, Burl Ives, Bette Midler, Jack Benny and Liberace, and sportsmen Bob Geary and Jean Béliveau (one of the many Montreal Canadiens hockey players that frequented the deli).

The 1990s brought difficult times for Ben's, with the death of Ben's owner followed shortly by labour disputes on top of declining patronage. Irving Kravitz died in 1992 and left the business in the hands of his wife Jean and their son Elliot. This was seen as a turning point, as the business began to decline, with the staff steadily reduced  and the quality of the food and service lesser than in previous years. Operating hours were gradually reduced until the restaurant stayed open 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. (2 a.m. on weekends) by the end. In 1995 the employees formed a union which often was at odds with the owners.

The beginning of the end started on July 20, 2006
when the unionized employees walked off the job and began a long-term strike. The restaurant was forced to close during this period and would never again reopen.

The end finally came on December 15, 2006, when, during the strike, Ben's owners made an
agreement with real estate developer SIDEV Realty Corporation to sell the building and property. It was also on this day Ben's officially announced the permanent closure of the restaurant and gave all its staff notice that their employment had been terminated, bringing an end to the history of Ben's deli.

Demolition of the building commenced September 25, 2008, Final demolition was done between November 1 and 2, 2008, with the remainder of the building torn down by mechanical shovel.

Here is an undated photograph of one of the more-famous patrons walking home from the Delicatessen: