Zingerman’s Delicatessen Spotlight: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw opened Zingerman’s Delicatessen in Ann Arbor in 1982 with a commitment to sourcing the best food they could find and serving it without compromise. What they built over the following four decades became one of the most celebrated delis in the country and a Michigan institution that people travel specifically to experience.

Located at 422 Detroit St in Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown neighborhood, Zingerman’s Deli is the original location and the heart of what has grown into a community of businesses. The bread is baked in house from scratch using heritage grains. The meats are sourced from producers who raise animals the right way. The cheeses are selected with the kind of knowledge that comes from spending decades building relationships with the people who make them.

The Reuben at Zingerman’s has its own reputation: piled high, made with quality corned beef on exceptional rye bread, and assembled with the confidence of a deli that knows exactly what it is doing. The full menu is extensive enough to take its time with, and the staff is trained to explain the sourcing behind everything on it.

The food is not inexpensive, and it was never meant to be. Zingerman’s was built on the premise that quality costs what quality costs, and the experience of eating here makes the math feel right. A line out the door on a Saturday morning is both a warning and a promise about what is waiting on the other side.

Visit at zingermansdeli.com on Detroit Street in Ann Arbor.

Michigan Small Business Spotlight is proud to feature Zingerman’s Delicatessen as one of Southeast Michigan’s most world-renowned and authentically Michigan small businesses.