Binghamton's Old World Deli Closes After 42 Years on Court Street

Old World Deli - one of the oldest businesses on Court Street in downtown Binghamton has closed its doors.

Owner Mark Sherlock said the iconic delicatessen's demise was due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sherlock said last Friday was the final day of operation for the business at 27 Court Street. The deli had been a fixture at that site since the fall of 1979, nearly five years before Boscov's opened its department store a few steps away.

ONE FINAL LOOK: The menu board at Old World Deli on April 1, 2022. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Sherlock originally operated the eatery for nearly a decade. A recent Binghamton University graduate ran the business starting in early 2018 but he closed it suddenly after a little over a year.

Sherlock reopened Old World in August 2019 after making some renovations to the place. He said "we were doing fine" but "then then the pandemic hit," shutting down most businesses in March 2020.

FLASHBACK: Mark Sherlock behind the counter of Old World Deli on August 7, 2019. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

After the shop resumed operations, Sherlock said many of its loyal customers didn't return because their routines had been changed. Since then, he said "the store's been losing money."

Sherlock started working another job several months ago because business was slow at the deli. One employee remained to staff the business until it finally closed.

Many Old World patrons enjoyed the deli's specialty sandwiches, including "The Ollie," "The Chuckster," "The Nosh," "The Campus Special," and "Jane's Addiction."

The original Old World Deli opened on the Vestal Parkway in 1974. The deli established a presence in downtown Binghamton when it opened a location on Henry Street in 1977.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com.

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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