“Grove Market re-opening Feb 14th. Soft launch coming soon, your favorite sandwiches” – so goes the perfectly timed Valentine for fans, posted to the window at Grove Market and Deli in recent days. Several readers have excitedly reached out to me with the news (and social media posts have been popping up); after all, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one closely watching the property ever since the business closed up shop during November last year.
The business first started life on Main Street back in 1947, opened by Pete Savas. Initially opening as a neighborhood grocery store, the deli component wouldn’t be added until the 70s. Son James ‘Jim’ Savas took the reins at the tender age of 19 and operated the restaurant for a staggering 61 years. The excellent Salt Lake Sideways has this piece on the formative early days of the business. Sadly, Savas passed away earlier this year.
The business continued for several months, but ultimately closed in the Fall, leaving the fate of one of SLC’s most iconic names unknown. Iconic? You’d be hard-pressed to find a long-term SLC resident who wasn’t aware of Grove and its loaded sandwiches, notable for the low prices. The star of the show, eye-opening ambassador rolls, mammoth torpedoes of bread – as big as your arm – easily enough for several meals…