Larry Bergstein was born and raised in New York. He and his wife met on Long Island over 20 years ago. Today, they live with their family in the Denver-Metro area. Larry, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the business, grew up working in the restaurant industry in NY. So when the NY Deli News was up for sale by the original owners in 2017, he was a natural fit as the successor of this Denver iconic location.
Larry Bergstein knew what he wanted to do when he ‘grew up’ starting at a very young age. He dreamt of owning his own restaurant. He discovered his lifelong passion for food as a teenager while working for a local chocolate shop. Then gained further experience in the food and beverage industry by catering weddings and Bar Mitzvahs for nearby venues and working at several Long Island delis. Larry’s early onset in the restaurant business eventually led to his obsession with the culinary arts, motivating him to pursue a degree in the field.
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Larry’s lifelong career was off to an exceptional start when he accepted a position as the Tournant for the Russian Tea Room in Manhattan. He continued to thrive in the restaurant industry working for both privately-owned and large Corporately owned restaurants.
Throughout his career, Larry’s passion for food grew stronger. He loved the way traditions were formed revolving around certain foods, and how particular tastes and smells evoke emotions and bring back individual memories. He consistently focused on, and coached others on the importance of ensuring outstanding customer experiences, serving fresh ingredients, and creating great-tasting, quality products. In more recent years, Larry managed teams of eighty employees (both front-and-back of the house) for high-end restaurants, including several Capital Grille locations. In 2008, the award-winning steakhouse corporation was seeking an Executive Chef to run their Larimer Square location in Denver, CO and asked Larry to take on the challenge. That Fall, Larry and his family were relocated to Colorado where he worked for several years. Eventually, he made the bold decision to work for himself, which then led him to purchase this landmark Denver restaurant in April 2017. He has been the proud owner of the NY Deli News ever since.
With the combination of his formal culinary training and more than thirty years of experience, Larry has what it takes to bring any new or existing restaurant to the next level. His ability to manage teams, maintain labor costs, and furnish excellent health-code ratings, demonstrates his exceptional track record for improving and successfully leading restaurant operations.