The Early Days of Soho
In the year 1979, Soho, (South of Houston) was still a quiet neighborhood. There were a few restaurants like the Spring Street Bar, Ken’s Broome Street Bar and Berry’s. There was also Wally’s, an unpretentious store where you could buy ice cream or a good tuna salad sandwich. They were all owned by locals who were determined to create a prosperous neighborhood in this former manufacturing district.
Far from midtown Manhattan and the top New York City hotels, residents of the area plied away at their chosen art, whether it be painting, sculpture or theatre. There were periodic exhibits in huge galleries and theatre performances in what is now called off, off, off Broadway. In those days you could bypass the NYC building code and live in a “Loft”, a former manufacturing space which wasn’t zoned for residential use. That is, if you were able to attain an AIR (Artist in Residence Status). Many hung onto that status and later when they became established and wealthy, went through the official zoning process. Living in Soho became the fashionable thing to do if you had the means. By the mid 80’ most lofts were occupied by bankers, actors, musicians and a few successful artists.
Quietly, small specialty stores began to pop up. Some opened to simply service the community, others to capitalize on what was now being called the “yuppie” generation. A small store on Prince Street opened in the late 70’s. It was called Dean&Deluca, named for the two owners Joel Dean & Giorgio Deluca. Giorgio was a bit of a fanatic when it came to food. Both he & Joel had traveled the world and were especially in love with all things Italian. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Balsamic Vinegar, Olivada, Sun Dried Tomatoes and of course Olive Oil were the first items to be imported and eventually sold at the store on Prince St. These products were also sold wholesale to “gourmet” stores across the US. It took a few years, but these products are as well known as pizza and pasta. It was Dean&Deluca who introduced the ubiquitous coffee bar to the US in 1989. Like most good ideas it was imitated all over the country. If you watch the TODAY show, you can see the Dean& Deluca sign for the Rockefeller Center coffee bar. Thirty years later and the legacy lives.
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