Decades-old downtown Modesto eatery is permanently closing. How long you have to visit
A 46-year-old downtown Modesto deli will shut its doors permanently in late November.
Piccadilly Deli, at 941 10 St., announced the closure on Facebook on Monday evening.
“It’s time for me to retire,” Suzie Wirth told The Modesto Bee. She’s owned the business for 22 years.
She said business has been great since she made the post. “I love my customers,” she said.
Piccadilly Deli was founded in 1976 by an English couple who bought a shoe store and transformed it into the eatery, according to Bee archives.
Suzie Wirth’s father, Robert Wirth, bought the place in 1978 and kept the name and concept.
In 2000, The Bee interviewed Frank Leonard, who had worked at the deli for more than 22 years at that time. Leonard was hired by Robert Wirth the same year he bought Piccadilly.
“I’ve stayed here all these years because I enjoy working downtown, and I like the people I work with and the people who come into the shop,” Leonard said then. “I really like working here.”
Suzie Wirth bought the business from her father in 2003.
Facebook commenters who also worked at the deli in years past, shared similar fond sentiments of having Suzie Wirth as their boss.
“I got hired back in 2005 when my son was just a year old and I was a single mom just barely making ends meet,” one comment reads. “Suzie Wirth was a great boss. Taught me how to make the perfect sandwich.”
Another comment is by a person hired by Picadilly at 16 years old. “That job was the reason I know so much about food and became a great cook,” the comment reads. “Taught me customer service, food prep, sanitation and (Suzie Wirth) taught me how to count up to give customers change and not depend on a calculator.”
Piccadilly’s last day of business will be Nov. 27. Its hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Due to staffing shortages, hours may vary, a Wednesday morning phone call to Piccadilly confirmed. Customers should call 209-523-0748 before visiting.
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 11:32 AM.
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