Leo & Jimmy's closing after 87 years in Wilmington

Barbara Hackett isn't sure she's ready to retire and bid adieu to her longtime customers.

But she and her family have made a decision: Leo & Jimmy's Delicatessen, the beloved breakfast and lunch takeout shop in downtown Wilmington that has fed generations of Delawareans everything from Italian subs to liverwurst sandwiches, will close its doors May 5.

Hackett, who runs the iconic shop weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., said she got an offer she couldn't refuse.The Buccini/Pollin Group, a Wilmington-based developer which owns many city properties, is buying the 728 N. Market St. building, as well as another one Hackett owns next door. The price was not disclosed.

Leo & Jimmy's, located in a property more than 100 years old, needs expensive upgrades, said the Hockessin resident who pondered the sale of the two historic buildings before accepting.

"Wow, I thought, 'Who else is going to make me that offer?'" Hackett said, adding she probably won't sit still for long. "I still have a lot of energy."

The lure of Leo & Jimmy's is its meaty sandwiches, friendly service, old-school charm, and intoxicating, unmistakable aroma of sliced luncheon meats, cheeses and pickles and peppers.

For many Wilmingtonians, especially downtown workers, it is a destination for an early morning egg and cheese sandwich or the corned beef special served with Russian dressing and cole slaw. The eatery also makes sandwiches for deliberating jurors serving at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center on King Street.

The shop with wood paneled walls holds a lifetime of memories for Barbara Hackett. She and her late husband, Jimmy, who died in December 2015, have worked in the current storefront, along with various family members, since 1972. Before that, the deli was located in other Market Street locations.

Daughter Sherri Hackett practically grew up in the shop and has worked long hours alongside her parents. She convinced Hackett to sell. "She said, 'Mom, it's time for you to let it go. You're 71.'"

And for longtime customers, that's not "super good," as Barbara's husband, Jimmy, liked to say.

"The customers are having fits. Some of them are crying," Barbara Hackett said. "I said, 'I'm not dying. I'm only retiring.' "

The landmark deli, named for founders Leo Rosenbaum and Jimmy Hackett, can trace its downtown Wilmington roots back to 1930, though it seems as if it has always been a part of the city. Indeed, Leo & Jimmy's has outlasted most other Market Street businesses from the same era.

"Not a day goes by that someone doesn't say something like, 'Oh, my grandmother came here,' or 'I remember eating bologna sandwiches from here' or something like," Hackett said.

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said the late founder Jimmy Hackett was "a larger-than-life personality. It's always come across how much he loved the city."

Purzycki said the legacy of Leo & Jimmy's will be its quality of service, good food and goodwill. "They embraced the city in the most enthusiastic way. They are special people."

Michael J. Hare, Buccini/Pollin's senior vice president for development, said Hackett's two Market Street properties, dating back to the mid- to late 19th century, are now under contract. He said Buccini/Pollin was first approached by Jimmy Hackett about purchasing the buildings before the 85-year-old's death from pancreatic cancer.

Hare said there are no immediate plans for the buildings, but he said the Leo & Jimmy's property will remain "some kind of food service or eatery."

"As of yet, we don't have an operator," he said.

Hare, a Delaware native, said he understands the significance of the business as a Wilmington institution. "All of us here [at Buccini/Pollin] are patrons of Leo & Jimmy's. It's a big transition, for sure," Hare said. "I don't know if we can ever fill that void."

Purzycki said he believes the sites are in good hands with Buccini/Pollin. "They are great stewards of the properties they buy. They care about the city."

Hackett said several people have approached her about buying the Leo & Jimmy's name, but she said it will retire with her.

The news about the deli's closing has slowly leaked out. "Pretty much everybody knows," Hackett said Tuesday afternoon after the lunch crowd died down.

Or maybe not.

"Who's closing? Wait? What? You're closing?" asks a customer who has walked in for "a little bit of potato salad."

Gary Lindsey, a longtime customer and frequent Italian sub purchaser, said his attraction to Leo & Jimmy's has always been good food "and the family atmosphere. It's good people. They treat you like family. It's going to be hard to find someone to replace them. Some people have come in here with no money, and they still serve them. They say, 'you catch up another time.' "

Still, Lindsey said he understands Hackett's reasons for selling. "I'm hurt, but I know sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Sometimes in life you have to move on."

The business was founded by Leo Rosenbaum, a Philadelphia resident who ran a delicatessen counter at the former H.L. Green department store at 610 Market St.

He and Hackett, a Wilmington native, became business partners in 1951. They ran deli counters at different stores on Market Street in Wilmington, including Silver’s 5 and 10 Cent Store, Wilmington Dry Goods and Kresge’s 5 Cent and $1 store.

After the pair opened the 728 N. Market St. location, its overstuffed sandwiches and lightning-fast service made the deli popular, especially in the early 1980s when it was serving 500 or more people a day.  It remains a destination spot. When Hackett gets to work at around 5 a.m., she said customers are waiting for her.

Barbara Hackett said Rosenbaum traveled to the shop every day by train. He wore a suit and a tie and would change into casual clothes and an apron while working. Before taking the train home, Rosenbaum changed back into his suit and tie. Photos hanging on walls show Rosenbaum in the 1930s when he sold potato salad and creamed cabbage at his first deli for 12 cents a piece. The businessman, who was in his 90s, died in 2003.

Celebrities, usually those who were appearing at The Grand or The Playhouse on Rodney Square, have walked through the doors for Leo & Jimmy's comfort foods. Homemade meatballs are served on Wednesdays, Fridays is the day for crab cakes and baked macaroni and cheese. Academy Award-winning actor Burt Lancaster once came into the shop and asked for the fixings to make a sandwich. Other celebrity patrons have included Judd Hirsch, Charles Durning and Jack Klugman. Joe Biden was a frequent customer when he had a Wilmington office. Hackett and his staff made 300 box lunches on a half hour's notice for Biden shortly before he made his first presidential campaign announcement in 1988.

But it's the Leo & Jimmy's regulars who always get special treatment. The Hacketts know who likes Swiss or American cheese on their sandwich, and whether a bagel gets cream cheese or butter.

And now, the shop is winding down. Barbara Hackett isn't ordering as many groceries to sell and customers are asking for mementos. One wants to buy the shop's deli slicer, another wants the counter where thousands of sandwiches have been built. An auction of items will take place May 10.

Sherri Hackett said she and her mother are working on some kind of gift, perhaps a chip clip with Leo & Jimmy's name, to give to customers thanking them for the longtime patronage.

"The most special part was being part of people's lives," said Sherri Hackett.

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico