The Enduring DELI FORTRESS: Built on Real Life Engaging FRESH

The Enduring DELI FORTRESS: Built on Real Life Engaging FRESH

Long before fluorescent aisles and barcoded everything, there was a different kind of food experience—one built on fresh food and human connection.

Three hundred years ago, nearly two centuries before the first supermarket ever opened its doors, the world’s first delicatessen began laying the foundation for the Deli Fortress.

This “fortress” wasn’t made of stone. It was built from something far stronger:

• Real meats and cheeses

• Life happening across the counter—stories, greetings, familiar faces

• Engaging interactions between deli workers and neighbors

• Fresh sliced, exactly the way customers want it

  
  

Over generations, this simple model became a cultural stronghold. Immigrants brought their recipes, families built businesses around them, and communities gathered inside these small but mighty spaces. The deli became a place where food wasn’t just purchased—it was trusted.

Today, even as the world races toward convenience and automation, the Deli Fortress stands firm. It endures because it’s built on values that never go out of style. Real. Life. Engaging. Fresh.

The same pillars that shaped the very first delicatessen continue to define the best ones today.

© 2026 M&E Mfg. Co., Inc. Trademarks property of M&E Mfg. Co., Inc.

Call us at (845) 331-2111 or visit our website at professionalseriesequipment.com. Click here to learn how the Deli Buddy® ESZ5 Face to Face Engagement Center® can help you defend your Deli Fortress.