Groucho's Deli
| Industry | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Genre | Deli |
| Founded | 1941 in Columbia, South Carolina, United States |
| Founder | Harold "Groucho" Miller |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Number of locations | 30 (2024) |
Area served | 3 U.S. states |
Key people | Harold "Groucho" Miller (Founder) Andy Shlon (Former co-owner, founder of Andy's Deli) |
| Products | Sandwiches |
| Website | grouchos |
Groucho's Deli is a deli franchise in the United States, with 30 locations across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.[1]
The restaurant was founded in Columbia, South Carolina, by Harold "Groucho" Miller. It is known for its roast beef and dipper sandwiches, and was named the most famous deli in South Carolina by Business Insider in 2020.[2] Their motto is “Quality is the most important ingredient in a sandwich”,[3] and their tagline is "Your Neighborhood Deli".[4]
History
[edit]Groucho's Deli was founded by Harold "Groucho" Miller in 1941 in Columbia, South Carolina, known at the time as "Miller's". Miller was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1899, losing his father in an accident and being sent to a Catholic orphanage after his mother became ill and was unable to care for all of her children. He was taught culinary skills at the orphanage by the woman who ran the kitchen. In 1941, he moved to Columbia, where he opened a deli, Miller's, in the downtown area. There, he sold exotic foods, such as escargot, rattlesnake, salami, and tongue.
Miller became known among customers and Columbia residents for his resemblance to Groucho Marx, and people began to refer to him affectionately as "Groucho". His son, Ivan Miller, told the Columbia Record in 1986:
“...when Pop first opened this store, Columbia was a small town, and everything had a label. Here he [Harold] was this really crazy kind of guy. Always joking, always had a big cigar and a mustache… He looked like Groucho Marx, he talked like Groucho Marx, and to Columbia, he was Groucho Marx. So that is how the name came about.”
Ivan Miller, second-generation proprietor of Groucho's, Columbia Record[3]
In the following years, the name was officially changed to "Groucho's Deli", and the restaurant moved from downtown Columbia, to the Five Points area of the city, a location which remains open today. In the 1960s, Miller offered a one-third partnership to former employee Andy Shlon, in order to entice him to return to the business. Andy remained co-owner for a decade, and later went on to open Andy's Deli in Columbia in 1978.[5]
Ownership was passed down to Ivan Miller in 1965, and Harold "Groucho" Miller passed away in 1973. At this point, the restaurant began to transition to more standard deli food offerings and becoming "less about the retail sale of exotic foods and more about feeding folks who wanted to sit down and eat."
In 2000, Bruce Miller, Ivan's son, became owner, and the restaurant opened its first franchise location in Lexington, South Carolina. Ivan Miller passed away in 2001.[6]
Menu
[edit]Groucho's is known for its roast beef and dipper-style sandwiches, as well as its Formula 45 and Formula 95 sauces, and its potato salad and coleslaw.[4][7]
Locations
[edit]As of July 2024[update], Groucho's Deli has 30 locations in three states: Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Each location is a franchise (excluding the original in Five Points) and is individually owned and operated, with "exclusive distributor partnerships and extensive on-site training" to maintain consistency from location to location.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "Locations". Groucho's Deli. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ Olito, Frank. "The most famous deli in every state". Business Insider. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "About". Groucho's Deli. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ a b Mahan, Sally (22 June 2017). "Groucho's serves up fresh, tasty deli food". The Island News. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ Cox, Mike (17 August 2023). "Andy's Deli celebrates 45 years by going back in time". Columbia Star - Columbia's locally owned weekly newspaper since 1963. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ McInerney, Salley. "Groucho's Deli celebrates 75 years". Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ Rogers Hook, Julia (26 August 2011). "Groucho's celebrates 70th year". Columbia Star. Retrieved 19 July 2024.