Lutticken’s Deli to close in Menlo Park after 45 years

Lutticken’s Deli & After 5 Restaurant, a long-standing institution in Menlo Park, California, will close its doors on September 30 after 45 years of operation. The closure affects the main location at the corner of Alameda de Las Pulgas and Gordon Avenue, as well as its sites at Stanford University and on Sand Hill Road.

General manager Judy Congdon, who has been with the business since it opened in 1981, stated that the establishment never fully recovered financially from the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s just not sustainable anymore,” Congdon said, noting that the business is no longer making the revenue required to remain open.

Founded by Bob Lutticken, the eatery was known for its deli sandwiches, Dutch crunch bread, and its evening venue, After 5, which hosted live music and karaoke. The business was recently recognized as the 2024 Small Business of the Year for California Senate District 13.