Langer’s Deli hits the market amid uncertain future

The longtime home of a Los Angeles institution is up for sale.

The corner property of Langer’s Deli, L.A.’s most well-known purveyor of pastrami sandwiches, has been on the market for five days, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The 15,500-square-foot lot at 704 S. Alvarado Street is listed as a development opportunity by broker John Alle through his John Alle Company. Alle’s family has owned the property for decades. The plot includes Langer’s and a neighboring bargain store.

Langer’s has been in business across from MacArthur Park since 1947. The deli bloomed during L.A.’s postwar economic boom and weathered its economic downturns. It’s most famous for its No. 19 pastrami sandwich.

Langer’s chief executive, Norm Langer, whose father Albert founded the deli, wouldn’t say if he was interested in buying the property, but said he wasn’t worried about a possible sale.
“I’m not planning on going anywhere whether it’s sold or not,” Langer said. “That’s as hard in cement as I can put it.”

It’s a common tale in a changing L.A. But Langer’s words may be more than heroic words from a doomed tenant. The Alle and Langer families have a good relationship and have “always been on the same team,” Alle said.

Alle told the Los Angeles Times that the family trust put the property on the market because of the significant upgrades that will be needed in the coming years.

He hopes a developer can come in and upgrade the buildings, and he said the family trust may ultimately decide to keep the property. He also mentioned the possibility of a mixed-use redevelopment at the site.

He added that the Langer family trust owns two nearby properties where they could move the restaurant. [LAT] – Dennis Lynch