Longtime downtown Santa Rosa deli closing

Arrigoni’s Deli & Cafe, a downtown Santa Rosa institution that for almost 40 years served up its sandwiches and soups to everyone from groggy college students to everyday regulars to movie stars, will close at year’s end.

Brothers Jacob and Raja Naber have decided to retire after running their deli since 1975, buying it from the Arrigoni family that had operated an Italian grocery store at the highly trafficked corner of Fourth and D streets since 1937.

When asked why they decided to retire, Raja, 74, responded: “Our age!” The two Jordan-born brothers have worked continuous six-day shifts every week with little vacation up until a few years ago, when they would switch off Saturdays and trade between themselves on coming early for the 7 a.m. opening and staying later for the 4 p.m. close.

The brothers own the building that houses the deli, which next year will be turned into a franchise of Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria, a new restaurant where a customer can create their own pizza and have it delivered in less than five minutes from order, said Glenn Cybulski, a co-founder of the company.

The Nabers intend to retain ownership of the property and have no plans to sell the space, which is located in a highly traversed location across the street from Barnes & Noble and has Russian River Brewing Co. as a neighbor. The two said they would have preferred to sell the restaurant but several buyers balked after discovering that changes could amount to more than $300,000 after updating to comply with city and county health codes.

“For changing ownership, they have new codes and new regulations that cost money. And many people, they just turned away,” Raja said.

In 1980, the brothers remodeled the space to turn the market into a deli and cafe, creating upstairs offices where once stood 20-foot-high ceilings. But other than the remodel, the menu did not change much for the restaurant known for its minestrone soup and panini sandwiches. The restaurant, which employs six people besides the Nabers, hasn’t raised its prices in the past three years.

It also housed the first espresso bar in Sonoma County and its machine, a 35-year-old La Cimbali, still works well even though it needs to have its replacement parts custom made.

But in a sign of changing times, Raja noted that Peet’s Coffee & Tea opened up across the corner and now his nephews go there to get their caffeine fix.

“We did not change, even though we know you need to change. But this is where we decided to retire. We have the ideas, but we didn’t have the drive to do it,” Raja said.

The two said they would miss their customers most of all. They ranged from Santa Rosa Junior College students studying before class to regulars such as former city manager Ken Blackman and occasional celebrities, including comedians Tom and Dick Smothers, quarterback Joe Montana and actor Walter Matthau. Unlike some restaurateurs, the brothers aren’t the type of people who put photos of celebrities up on the wall. Instead, there are pictures of them and their employees.

“We don’t call them customers anymore. We call them friends,” Raja said.

Raja said the city should encourage more development downtown, such as condominiums that would provide more customers for shops after 5 p.m. He also lamented that Santa Rosa Plaza served more as a dam, rather a than river, to bring shoppers over to independent retailers on the eastern and western flanks of the shopping center.

The departure of Arrigoni’s will leave one less longtime retailer in the downtown area, where standbys Pedersen’s Furniture and Corrick’s Stationery Store are still thriving. Local retailers are keeping their eye on the redevelopment of Courthouse Square as a sign to bring in greater traffic.

“I think that if we as stakeholders can get it right, we can create a real venue that will bring people downtown,” said Paul Pedersen of Pedersen’s Furniture.

Staff Writer Chris Smith contributed to this story. Y ou can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 521-5223 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @BillSwindell.