After over a decade of being dark, the lights have once again been turned on in the very famous Zucky’s Delicatessen building, which has been transformed from an eyesore to a showplace.
Opened in 1954 by Hy and Zucky Altman on 5th Street and Wilshire Boulevard, it was the first all-night coffee shop of its kind in Santa Monica and was quite innovative as it boasted such “firsts” as walls of glass, having a toaster and telephone on every table, and was the first site of the city’s original power breakfast.
With the smell of freshly baked cookies in the air in the beautifully designed, quite homey offices, First Republic Bank representatives welcomed Mrs. Altman and her sons, Jeff and Michael, to the official opening at which time she signed up for an account with the bank that bears the historic landmark Zucky’s sign on top of its building.
Office Manager Suzy Kazanchyan, who was very excited about meeting the legendary Zucky, said, “The community has been very welcoming, and people are dropping by just to say ‘hello.’ “When asked about the parking situation, Kazanchyan said, “We’ll provide quarters for the meters and will even walk over to the customer’s car to pick up a deposit.”
Toni Tartamella, First Republic Bank’s Relationship Manager summed it up: “People have great memories of the delicatessen, and it’s great we can bring Zucky’s back to life in Santa Monica.”
