Saul Zabar died on October 7, at 97, leaving the Upper West Side in New York a little less bright than the notorious orange synonymous with his familyâs 90-year old company. For the last 70 plus years, Saul and his brother Stanley led the once 22-foot long shop their parents built into what has become a multi-sensory emporium and a food loverâs paradise. Under their watch, Zabarâs grew into one city block; but itâs one that endears the entire cityâs heart.
Youâll be hard-pressed to find a New Yorker who doesnât dip into Zabarâs for something. A staple for all things smoked fish, bagels, coffee, pastries and more kitchen gadgets than anyone could ever need, Zabarâs is a place most simply canât leave empty-handed. And because of Saul Zabar, we can not only not leave empty-handed, but we leave with our senses having gone on the joy ride of rides. He curated a world where two products that heighten our senses the most–like coffee and fish–create a utopia of which we all want to be a part.
Passionate about coffee and fish most of all, Saulâs impact on the whole store is unmistakable. As his family once told me, Saulâs hand was in every pot, so to speak, and he was deeply passionate about his customers. More the front man then his brother, Stanley–who kept much of the engine running behind the scenes–Saul could often be seen at every counter, amidst the aisles, holding court proudly in his crisp white grocerâs coat.
Saulâs daughter Annie said he always perceived coffee like fine wine, giving it the same investment, care, and precision a vintner or sommelier would. He orchestrated a coffee program for Zabarâs long before places like Starbuckâs existed, and he produced a particular light roast that became the storeâs quintessential New York blend. Every Tuesday, to this day, the team–made up mostly of family members–hold a cupping session for all the roasts that come in; the ritual is all in honor of what Saul instituted and taught them. In recent years, younger Zabarâs have followed suit learning the ropes of coffee roasting and brewing as well. The company sell upwards of 8,000 pounds of coffee a week.
As I wrote in a piece earlier this year celebrating the companyâs 90th Anniversary, it doesnât seem possible to spend any time in New York, at the very least the Upper West Side, without landing at a Zabarâs counter and ordering way more lox than one could eat during a weekend, or without walking away with a Zabarâs tote filled to the rim with coffee or fresh babka. I think most would agree, there are worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Thank you, Saul Zabar. You created community, one slice of lox and one cup of coffee at a time.
On October 10, Saul Zabar was honored by the MTA with a poster that now hangs in his memory at the 79th Street and Broadway subway station. At the ceremony, Congressman Jerry Nadler, said, âThousands of New Yorkers and West Siders can be reminded every day of his impact,â and he thanked the family for sharing him with everyone for so many years.