Stanley Zabar, longtime force behind NYC’s iconic Zabar’s deli, dies at 94
Saul and Stanley Zabar. Photo courtesy of Zabar’s
Stanley Zabar, co-owner of the renowned Upper West Side deli that bears his family’s name, died Monday at age 94. Zabar’s, a mainstay since 1934, announced his passing in an Instagram post. Along with his brother Saul, who died in October 2025 at 97, Stanley spent decades advancing the vision of their parents, Louis and Lillian Zabar. Stanley handled much of Zabar’s behind-the-scenes work, drawing on his “legal and financial acumen,” which helped elevate the business to national prominence.
Stanley’s daughter, Dr. Sondra Zabar, told the New York Times that her father died of cancer.
Born in Brooklyn on August 19, 1932, Stanley moved with his family to Manhattan when he was two. While attending the University of Pennsylvania in 1950, his father died, prompting Stanley to leave school and help run the family business with Saul, who had similarly abandoned plans to become a doctor.
Stanley eventually transferred to New York University, graduating in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree. Three years later, he earned a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, where he took classes through the early afternoon before returning to work at Zabar’s until 9 p.m.
As the Times reported, Stanley managed the brothers’ and Klein’s neighborhood real estate holdings and spearheaded the store’s mail-order department. He also helped launch the deli’s prepared foods section and played a crucial role in expanding its extensive cheese business.
In addition to Sondra, Stanley is survived by his wife, Judith, whom he married in 1952; his son, David, Zabar’s executive director; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. His daughter, Lori Zabar, died in 2022.
After Saul died in 2025, the MTA put up posters in an Upper West Side subway station honoring the neighborhood icon. On the 1 train platform at the nearby 79th Street subway station, vinyl posters depicted him in his signature white coat. The tribute followed a collaboration between the deli and the MTA to celebrate the subway’s anniversary and Zabar’s 90th birthday.
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