By Karen Duryea
Summer Bruin Senior Staff
It was all bagels and Broadway at last Tuesday's grand opening of Jerry's Famous Deli in Westwood Village.
June 18 marked the first day of business for the 24-hour deli, destined to become a new stomping ground for UCLA students and neighboring residents alike.
"We've only been open a few hours and it has already picked up energy," said Isaac Starkman, CEO for Jerry's Famous Deli, Inc., referring to the almost-packed restaurant which had opened officially for business at around 2 p.m. that afternoon.
Starkman and his son Guy, were present at the Grand Opening, held on the second floor overlooking the brand new customers. The invite-only party was packed with guests to help celebrate the new location on 10925 Weyburn Avenue.
Celebrities such as Elizabeth Berkley and Mayor Richard Riordan appeared at the opening, as well as faithful customers of the deli.
Claiming he visits at least one of four Jerry's restaurants virtually every day, Michael Olivestone says that he will frequent the new location since it is closer to where he lives.
"Westwood needs a 24-hour restaurant," Olivestone said, "There have been many times that I've been in Westwood for business or entertainment and there simply hasn't been a place I've wanted to go."
The Westwood Jerry's is the latest location of a seven-deli chain in the surrounding Los Angeles area. The deli is well-known for its theme of New York Broadway shows, revealed by its colorful lighting and posters of such long-running musicals and plays like "Gypsy," "Evita" and "Anything Goes."
Old black-and-white photos of favorite actors Audrey Hepburn and James Dean, among others, also line the walls, adding to the nostalgic atmosphere.
In addition to its original interior, Jerry's has a unique menu of over 700 items provided for 24 hours, seven days a week.
"You can come here so many times and still not have had everything on the menu," Isaac Starkman said.
And Jerry's will cater to the student population by opening its second floor as an all night study lounge.
"The whole concept of a second floor will be a study hall," Guy Starkman said. "I've seen kids at coffee shops and on regular business nights, they close around midnight. Here they can stay all night and not be bothered."
Downstairs, UCLA students were already sampling some of Jerry's menu items, but noted that the prices may be too high for a student's pocketbook.
"But they give a lot of food so it's worth it," said Linda Tang, a second-year student. She thinks the 24-hour aspect of Jerry's will help to revitalize the area.
"There's not much to do (in Westwood) besides see movies," Tang said. "Now people can come in after 2 a.m., when all the bars and clubs are closed."
Currently, many students leave the village to seek entertainment elsewhere, such as Century City and West Los Angeles, said Tang and friend Jennifer Chuang. But Guy Starkman hopes that Jerry's will recentralize the students back into Westwood.
"I want it to be the UCLA place to hang out," he said. "I want the UCLA basketball team to come here for parties."
Area merchants said they feel optimistic about the recent opening of the deli, stating that it will have an effect on the current liveliness, or lack thereof, in the village.
"I've noticed a little bit of an increase (of customers) in the area," said Angela Austin, associate manager of The Gap on Westwood Boulevard, days after the deli's opening. "Any new business in the area will help Westwood."
Austin added that she senses Westwood may be recovering, however slowly, from its recent downtrend.
"The retail people in the area are excited," Guy Starkman said. "It will help to increase traffic so it's pretty much a positive thing."
So who is Jerry, anyway? That is often the question that many frequenters of the deli might ask, quickly answered by Ruth Hladky's knowledge of the deli's history.
Hladky, Isaac Starkman's administrative assistant, said that when Jerry's was established in 1978, the original "Jerry" was the sole owner. Later that year, Isaac Starkman went into partnership and eventually acquired the entire business.
Isaac Starkman liked the name of the deli, and so retained the name of "Jerry's Famous Deli," now commonly referred to as JFD. Prior to last year, the deli continued to be a family-owned restaurant, but now it has gone public, hence the openings of Jerry's in Westwood and Old Pasadena earlier this year.
But the opening of Jerry's in Westwood won't only serve as a corporate expansion, but will also revitalize the surrounding area.
"I hope it will re-energize Westwood and bring it back to its glory days," Isaac Starkman said.
GENEVIEVE LIANG
Guests of Jerry's Famous Deli enjoy their food at last week's crowded Grand Opening.