Hobby’s Delicatessen & Restaurant’s classic pastrami sandwich.

Following a two-year hiatus, Hobby’s Deli in Newark welcomes customers to enjoy the same iconic food and experience in a new and improved setting, but with a temporarily pared-down menu.

The famous words “what’s old is new again” have never been truer, especially when it comes to Hobby’s Delicatessen & Restaurant in Newark.

The bustling culinary landmark — known for its tight quarters and lively atmosphere — remained closed for the past two years throughout the heart of the pandemic, but owners and brothers Marc and Michael Brummer proactively used the downtime to update the renowned eatery’s equipment and reconfigure its kitchen and dining room to ensure a safer flow for customers and employees alike.

“We’re a center-city delicatessen operating in a compressed space and every inch is critical to us,” shared Marc of the restaurant, which resides in a century-old building and has been owned by the Brummer family since 1962. “We had three people working in just 6 feet of space and we couldn’t put our team in that situation during the pandemic.”

Hobby’s Delicatessen & Restaurant also is known for its authentic matzoh ball soup.

“Our counter was 18 feet long and there were 10 people working there on top of each other — it just didn’t work during COVID,” agreed Michael. “We decided to undergo a renovation to create a more open, socially distant and safe workspace.”

While they were closed for both in-person and take-out service, “we worked to upgrade our 1970s design and make operations more efficient,” said Michael, who noted that he, Marc, and some of the staff spent part of the first summer of the pandemic at a test kitchen on Long Island picking out their new equipment and ensuring that it would work the way they needed it to. Among other upgrades at Hobby’s, “we have a new steam table that will enable us to steam corned beef and pastrami in a gentler way,” he said (though they  still have their father’s original 1950s-era steam table on hand just in case).

A delicious vegetable platter from Hobby’s Delicatessen & Restaurant.

“Working with an architect and a restaurant designer, we opened up a wall, moved our front entrance, cash register, and dessert section into the dining room, and transformed our old deli area into an open-concept deli/kitchen,” Michael said. “We now have a short order line with a second hood for all short-order cooking, which will create a better and safer workflow.”

According to Marc, the new design represents a team effort. “We discussed our operational needs with all of our key people and re-evaluated all of our processes,” Marc said, adding that their upgrades also included a new air conditioner and air filters for enhanced occupant comfort and safety as well as a new computer system that enables easy online ordering.

“What we’ve created will ensure a more streamlined and safer workflow,” he said. “We’re now set up to do more business and it will be easier on us and our health and deliver greater peace of mind.”

The Brummer brothers, though, made a conscious decision to reopen with a smaller menu and no staff in the dining room. For now, customers are invited to order online, at the kiosk or at the register, and then take their bag to the dining room to enjoy.

“As we build out our staff, and learn all the new equipment and technology,” Michael said, “we need to be small  in order to produce at the high quality for which we are known. As we learn and grow, we’ll be able to add to our menu and reopen waitstaff service in the dining room.”

Pickle fans know that Hobby’s Delicatessen & Restaurant has the goods.

An Iconic Experience — Reinvented

If you’re among the many loyal customers who have been craving everything from the restaurant’s mile-high sandwiches (such as its famous “#5,” a house-pickled corned beef and pastrami with Russian dressing and coleslaw) to its authentic matzoh ball soup, homemade potato pancakes, grilled chicken, freshly-ground char-broiled burgers and more, you’re in luck.

“The Hobby’s Delicatessen specialties that people have come to know and love are exactly the same or better than they used to be —  but now with a safer and more efficient process,” Michael said.

“Every day that we were closed, we responded to messages from customers on the phone, email, and social media about when we’d be reopening, because they wanted us back,” Marc said. “We’re a key connection between the business sector and the community in Newark and people from all walks of life come to Hobby’s.”

“We invite everybody to come back home to Hobby’s,” Michael said.  “It’s been fantastic to see our customers again.”

Hobby’s is located 32 Branford Place (Corner of Halsey) at Hobby’s Plaza, Downtown Newark, N.J.  (Just a block from The Rock). Current hours are 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

Visit hobbysdeli.com. Email at Hobbysdeli@aol.com or call 973-623-0410.