This weekend will mark the first time in memory that Bob Watters won’t wake up at home in Easton on a Saturday, then travel down the Merritt to Forest Street to unlock and open the popular deli that’s been feeding New Canaanites for more than 20 years.
The Forest Street Deli—a throwback, owner-on-site neighborhood joint whose customers rave about the chicken salad and chat with Watters (a 1978 Stamford High School graduate) about life, baseball, the Jets, sports and family—is coming down to make way for a mixed retail-and-residential structure.
New Canaanites have been greeted by Bob Watters at Forest Street Deli for more than 20 years, and for more than half of that time they've also seen Jessica Bonestell at the downtown fixture. Friday April 18 is its last day. Wishing Bob the best of luck in the next chapter ...
“Knowing it’s the end is really strange,” Watters said Friday morning during a brief break from the grill. “I know it’s going to be very emotional. I’ve been saying goodbye to people, but now I know it’s for the final time. It was strange, as I’m going through the day it’s, ‘Well, now I’m getting up for the last time to go to Forest Street Deli.’ I know it’s the last time for Forest Street Deli.”
Saturday is also the 19th birthday for Watters’ son, now at Stony Brook University (Watters also has a 17-year-old daughter who’s a junior at Barlow High School). They weren’t born when Watters opened Forest Street Deli 22 Septembers ago, newly married and living in Norwalk.
Asked what he can recall about Day One at the deli, Watters said with an easy laugh: “I can’t remember. I was confused and lost.”
Asked what has been the community’s response since news of the deli’s imminent closing got out, he said, “Overwhelming, both on Facebook and coming in here.”
“I’ve had people call me up from across the country, tell me, ‘Listen I can’t make it. I saw it on Facebook. I’m going to miss you guys. New Canaan will never be the same.’ It’s just unbelievable, the response.”
It isn’t clear yet what’s next for Watters—at least in the long term.
Asked if New Canaanites may expect to see him around, Watters said Forest Street Deli may set up something for a day at a community event to feed the people that miss the food.
“But I don’t have anything scheduled as of yet,” he said. “You never know. We might show up at some sort of a fair or some sort of ball game or something like that.”
The short-term future is set in stone.
Asked what he planned to do Saturday morning instead of getting down to New Canaan to feed Big Os and other breakfast sandwiches to the town, Watters said: “In all honesty, I have a 7 o’clock tee time.”
The little building on the east side of Forest Street – the now-closed deli, formally Bike Shop – may be one of the oldest shops in tow; may be seen on 1878 Bird’s eye view map of New Canaan.
WHY COULD IT NOT HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THIS DESIGN???
Ignorance is no excuse as it was listed in the Town’s Historic Resources Inventory of 1987, a copy of which is at the New Canaan Historical Society and also with the New Canaan Preservation Alliance. Do developers and builders ever consult these resources?