OK, I’m a little slow here since this actually happened almost three weeks ago, but the news is new to me:
Robert “Bob” Koch of the famous Koch’s deli dies.
To those who have never been, there is just no explaining Koch’s deli. Its a tiny hole in the wall on Locust Street in West Philly that sold humungous, delicious sandwiches. The owners were very jovial folks, constantly cracking jokes and passing out samples of lunchmeat to waiting patrons.
By the time I found the place, the original owner had died and the sons (Lou and Bob) had taken over the business. In 1995, Lou passed away. It looks as though the third generation children have not elected to go into the business, and Bob Kock was the last one as far as I know. There were always plenty of deli workers in Koch’s to help the family, but none carried the lighthearted, jovial air that they did.
Koch’s will go on, it may even have the same great food, but it will never be the same.