Constantine’s Delicatessen, a Bayside staple, to close after 92 years in business

Constantine’s Delicatessen in Bayside, circa 1942.

Photo courtesy of Michael Di Marco

Constantine’s Delicatessen, a staple deli in the Bayside community since 1931, is set to close its doors at the end of the year. 

The narrow spot on 48th Avenue has gone through three changes in ownership over the years, but the name has stayed the same since its first owners – the Constantine family who ran the joint from 1931 to 1960 – started the business. The second set of owners, two brothers in law, ran the deli until 1983. 

Constantine’s was then taken over by Lou Di Marco, who had worked at the eatery part time for several years prior. He purchased the building in 1986, conducted renovations and made it into a family run business that brought in a roster of regulars. 

Di Marco’s son Michael grew up working in the deli before venturing into the restaurant industry on his own with a culinary degree. He returned to work at Constantine’s in 2003. 

The Di Marcos say that the deli culture in Bayside is dying from its peak in the 80s and 90s. They attribute it to the demographic changes in the region and a rise in chain businesses siphoning off customers over the years. 

“There really are no other delis in the area,” said Michael. “They seem to be doing okay on Long Island, but they’ve been going out of favor in Queens for a long time.”

Then the pandemic came, and the cost of everything from food to plasticware to insurance went up significantly, Michael said. It has become more difficult, he noted, to sustain the business and the family has not been able to break even in the past couple of years. 

Currently, they only have five employees, down from over a dozen at their peak. And two of the cooks have been working there for over 25 years. 

“It was a tough decision. You know, it took us a while to come to grips with it,” said Michael. “We’ve tried to adapt as best we can. We slimmed down our operation tremendously, and we were…