As new first-years gear up for orientation, it turns out that their University experience will miss out on one thing that many current students and alumni consider to be a cornerstone of the University’s Corner.
Just over a year after its much-anticipated reopening under new ownership, Littlejohn’s New York Delicatessen has once again closed its doors, marking the end of an era for the University community and Charlottesville residents alike. The beloved deli, located at 1427 University Ave. on the Corner, officially announced its permanent closure May 21st, leaving patrons reminiscing about its storied past and signature sandwiches.
For some students, the loss is more than the shuttering of a sandwich shop — it is the closing chapter of a communal touchstone. For Class of 2025 alumna Leilani Johnson, Littlejohn’s filled a key role in the late-night rhythm of life on the Corner.
”I went there with my coworker … [and] it was the best sandwich I’d ever eaten in my life, like I devoured it,” Johnson said.
Founded on the Corner in 1976, Littlejohn’s carved out its legacy with generous portions and a signature menu that became a rite of passage for many University students. Favorites like the “Nuclear Sub” and “Five Easy Pieces” earned a considerable following.
Littlejohn’s first closure in 2020, driven by the economic upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, was met with disappointment by the University and Charlottesville community. Its unexpected resurrection in April 2024, though, brought hope, excitement and even nostalgia for its former regulars.
For fourth-year Batten student Breanna Bonner, the reopening was as sentimental as it was exciting.
“My mom also went to U.Va., and she was always like ‘Oh my god, Littlejohn’s is so good,’” Bonner said. “I was really excited when they were reopening because my mom always talked about this place, and I love sandwiches.”
Bonner fondly recalled enjoying the “Kyle Guy” sandwich — named after the beloved 2016 to 2019 Virginia basketball star — and reminisced about a late-night visit with her roommate early in the Fall 2024 semester.
“It was after a night out … it was [so good],” Bonner said. “[My roommate] had never been there before, so it was actually fun to do that.”
Despite a wave of initial enthusiasm from Charlottesville sandwich-lovers, Littlejohn’s struggled to regain the footing it once had in the Charlottesville food scene. The post-pandemic restaurant landscape has proven unforgiving — marked by labor shortages, rising food costs and shifting consumer habits.
When the deli shut down in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the owners launched a GoFundMe campaign in a last-ditch effort to save the restaurant, but were ultimately unable to raise sufficient funds. While Littlejohn’s new ownership aimed to preserve the original vibe — right down to the classic menu and iconic deli pickle — the operational challenges were steep. Littlejohn’s did not respond when asked to comment on its closure.
For some, much of Littlejohn’s charm did not only originate from the food itself, but in the dining experience as a whole. Johnson’s first memory of the deli was in the middle of the summer after its reopening, when she discovered the spot almost by accident.
“One of my coworkers took me there to get some food, and I’d never seen it before. To me, [Littlejohn’s] kind of just materialized out of nowhere,” Johnson said. “I was really happy, because I really liked their sandwiches.”
She later eventually returned and recalled striking up a conversation with the employee making her sandwich.
“We went there again at like 3 a.m., and we had a long conversation,” Johnson said. “He was really nice … from what I remember, [all of the Littlejohn’s employees] were really pleasant.”
As the Corner continues to evolve and new restaurants arrive and many old ones inevitably disappear, it is clear that the Littlejohn’s era has passed for good. Yet for former patrons, its faded neon sign, warm sandwiches and variety it brought to the Corner’s food scene will all be missed by former loyal patrons as they must settle for a new go-to for post-Trinity fuel.
For many, it wasn’t just about the food, but the small unexpected moments of connection that made Littlejohn’s feel like more than just a deli.
“[Littlejohn’s] offered things that other places on the Corner didn’t [have],” Bonner said. “Littlejohn’s was unique.”
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