By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
MARLBORO – An eatery that has become a landmark in Marlboro during its 33 years in business is under new ownership. Fred Merkin, 56, of Freehold Township, has taken over as the owner of Jerry and Harvey’s Deli in the Marlboro Plaza on Route 9 north at Route 520.
Merkin is a graduate of the culinary arts program at Johnson and Wales University, Providence, R.I. He was the owner of several Exxon/Mobil franchises and was a martial arts trainer for 15 years before becoming the owner of Jerry and Harvey’s. He was a chef for 10 years before his children were born.
“Now that my children are older and out of the house, I am back pursuing my passion, which has always been food,” Merkin said.
The original owners of the deli were Jerry Feldstein and Harvey Kull.
Feldstein and Kull initially had a deli in Brooklyn, N.Y., and moved to East Brunswick in Middlesex County. The duo were eventually approached by Saul Hornik, who served as mayor of Marlboro from 1980-91. Hornik was trying to attract businesses to the new Marlboro Plaza and asked the deli owners to move to Marlboro.
“We thought it was a good idea to go to Marlboro,” Feldstein said. “A lot of people in Brooklyn had relatives in Marlboro and we received a lot of encouragement from them to come to the area.”
Kull left the business in 1993, leaving Feldstein as the sole owner of the deli. Feldstein said he tries to stop in at the deli once a week to pick up mail and say hello to his former employees. He said despite the change in management, the business feels the same.
“The quality of the food looks the same, the cooks are the same, the catering is the same,” Feldstein said. “Fred seems to be on top of everything. He works hard day and night and is trying to improve things.
“It was very nice [being the owner]. I got along with most of the customers and I built up a lot of friendships. People were nice to me and I tried to do right by them. I would like to thank the people in the area who were loyal to us and I hope they stay loyal to Fred.”
Merkin said he was a customer at Jerry and Harvey’s for many years before he approached Feldstein and inquired about purchasing the deli.
“I’m a people person,” he said. “I like to be around people. This is a perfect industry for me because I get to socialize and I get to know my customers.”
Merkin said he thought about renaming the deli, but in the end, “I was thinking about what would be the best for the restaurant and Jerry and Harvey’s has been a staple in the community for 33 years. The township knows this place by name and I felt it would be best for business to not change the name. … Business is good, but there is always room for improvement.”
The new owner said he is concentrating on improving the deli’s catering business.
“I want to let people know we are here for them and we are going to cater to their needs,” Merkin said. “Whatever they need, we are going to do for them. Whether it is on our menu or not on our menu, I want to concentrate on being the kind of establishment that if you want something specifically done for your party, we are going to go out of our way to do it for you.
“I am very excited to be here and to move forward. I am excited I have wonderful help that has been here for a very long time. My chef, manager and assistant manager have been here for 25 years and my head waitress has been here for 32 years. I have a lot of good people surrounding me and as long as I have their support moving forward, I really think this place will continue to grow and continue to serve our community for years to come,” he said.
