New York City just got a little less interesting with the passing of Stanley Zabar, who passed away at age 94 on Tuesday, November 10.
Zabar was the owner of iconic gourmet food shop Zabar’s, an Upper West Side Institution since it opened in 1934. Nearly a century later, Zabar’s remains renowned for its smoked fish, bagels and custom-roasted coffee, reportedly selling an estimated 400,000 pounds of beans each year.
Zabar’s announced his death in an Instagram post on Tuesday, praising Stanley Zabar as “a quiet force behind our family business.”
As the post noted, Zabar and his brother, Saul Zabar, carried on the family business so they could “build upon and carry forward the vision of their parents, Louis and Lillian Zabar,” who founded the store.
While the post did not indicate a cause of death, The New York Times reported Zabar died from cancer, according to his daughter, Dr. Sondra Zabar.
As the post added, the late Zabar’s “legal and financial acumen was vital in shaping Zabar’s into a beloved New York City institution.”
In its obituary, the Times pointed out that Zabar took care of the store’s financial aspects, while his brother oversaw Zabar’s day-to-day operations; however, the obit also noted that it was not uncommon for customers to encounter Stanley Zabar, who frequently appeared in the store to greet shoppers.
According to the Instagram post, Zabar and his widow, Judith Zabar, were also philanthropists who “dedicated their time and resources to the arts, education and culinary training,” with beneficiaries of their generorisy including Hunter College, the New York Public Library, Symphony Space, NYU Langone Health and the Careers through Culinary Arts Program.
A Devotion to His Family
Stanley Zabar’s passing was preceded by that of brother Saul, who died last year at age 97.
As the social media post recalled, “Stanley’s greatest devotion was to his family.”
Born and raised on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Stanley Zabar was “deeply embedded in the neighborhood that generations of Zabars have called home,” with the post adding, “He will be remembered for the business he helped build, the countless opportunities he created for others and his unwavering dedication to his family and community.”
Decades of Enduring Success
Zabar’s remains a touchstone of Jewish cuisine in New York City, and has proven to be hugely profitable over the years.
As Eater pointed out back in 2023, Zabar’s sells more than 4,000 pounds of smoked fish each week, along with 8,000 pounds of coffee during the same seven-day time period.
“That’s a lot of [expletive] coffee to sell for one store,” observed general manager Scott Goldshine, who’d been in charge of the store’s general operations for three decades. “Not a chain — this is just one location, one store.”
The secret behind Zabar’s success, explained Goldshine, was its consistency.
“One of the reasons people keep coming back for everything is they know it’s going to taste the same every week,” he said, pointing out that prior to his passing, Saul Zabar utilized his own tastebuds to ensure quality control.
“These recipes are 50 years old,” said Goldshine. “Saul still comes back here most days [and] he tastes.”
New Yorkers Mark End of An Era With Passing of Stanley Zabar, Owner of Iconic Food Shop Zabar’s