Manny's Deli's Free Sandwich Giveaway Serves A Greater Mission

CHICAGO — Like a myriad other restaurateurs, Manny’s Deli owner Dan Raskin has struggled to see his way through the coronavirus pandemic at a time when business is down and foot traffic for the South Loop deli has slowed considerably.

With Chicago’s tourism at a stand-still and the city’s downtown business district a virtual ghost town, Manny’s — which has been in business since 1942 — has done whatever it can to keep people coming through the doors. But with a staple of regulars who continue to frequent one of Chicago’s culinary staples have remained faithful, the deli’s mask requirement has been a constant tripping point for more customers than Raskin would care to admit.

After an attempt to offer free sandwiches if the deli could go 30 days without having to remind customers how to properly wear a mask failed after just two days, Raskin tried to come up with another solution. He hatched a plan that rather than tracking the days his pastrami palace would go without having to scold customers for not wearing masks, he would instead simply reward those who wore face-coverings as they were intended.

On Tuesday, Manny’s will give a free sandwich to the first 1,000 people that enter the deli properly wearing a mask after an anonymous donor agreed to financially back the promotion. For Raskin, Manny’s fourth-generation owner, the giveaway isn’t as much about free sandwiches as much as it is about finding some common ground.

“It’s definitely frustrating. I would think it’s just common sense that people would (wear masks) and do it properly, but obviously, it’s not normal,” Raskin told Patch on Thursday. “The last year’s not normal and we were hoping (the sandwich giveaway) would remind them to do it and not have to remind them to do it.”

He added: “Obviously, our staff has been working and they are not eligible to be vaccinated yet and so it’s frustrating for us to be serving so many people on a regular basis and not be protected like other front-line workers.”

Raskin said the sandwich giveaway promotion will go on as long as sandwiches are available on Tuesday. For any sandwiches that are not given away by the close of business, Manny’s will donate the money those sandwiches would cost to charity. The deli will have extra security at the door to ensure that customers remain properly spaced and of course, that customers keep their faces covered properly.

Manny’s, which is located at 1141 S. Jefferson, is open from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. The deli also announced that it will be donating sandwiches to front-line workers at a vaccination clinic at in the city.

While Raskin hopes the promotion brings people into his business on Tuesday, he is hoping that the idea of wearing masks spurs some thoughtfulness among city residents. The sandwich giveaway is taking place as Chicago is experiencing a surge in positive coronavirus cases and that has Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other city health officials frustrated with the direction the numbers are moving.

For Raskin, the past year has been difficult given the drop in business that Manny’s has experienced since the pandemic began. While indoor dining returned to 50 percent capacity for restaurants and bars last month, the lack of people working downtown and people visiting Chicago has taken a bite out of Manny’s bottom line.

The financial struggles Manny’s has experienced over the past year have not come as a surprise to Raskin. But with the notion that many downtown workers may not return to their offices until this fall as vaccinations continue, Raskin is prepared to keep fighting over the long haul to remain a viable option for sandwich lovers — even if it takes free sandwiches to help drive his message home.

“We’re doing everything we can and doing fun promotions like this to get customers to work together is part of what we’re trying to do,” he said. “The long-term thing is awareness of what’s been going on. People need to continue to be vigilant whether you’ve been vaccinated or haven’t been vaccinated and know that the second you’ve been vaccinated (doesn’t mean) everything is back to normal.”

If it takes a little free pastrami and corned beef to get that message across, Raskin is willing to do what he can.

“I think the sandwiches will go fast — I really do,” he said Thursday. “But if it takes all day (Tuesday), it takes all day.”