Grove Market & Deli, the towering-sandwich landmark on South Main, quietly slipped back into action this weekend at 1906 S. Main St., its front door covered in handwritten reassurances: “yes, we have the same sandwiches” and “yes, we have the same prices.” The shop had been dark for months after a sale late last year, with the paper sign in the window promising a grand reopening on Saturday.
Long-Running Family Shop
Pete Savas opened Grove Market in 1947, and his son Jim took the reins at just 19, later adding the deli and running the store for almost 60 years. According to his obituary at Dignity Memorial, Jim helped turn the modest market into a bona fide Salt Lake City institution.
Sale, Sign And The Menu
A handwritten note on the front door announced the grand reopening for Saturday and doubled down on the promise that both sandwiches and prices would stay the same. As reported by The Salt Lake Tribune, Jim Savas' wife shared that she sold the business in December 2025, and attempts by reporters to reach the new owners came up empty.
The Tribune also pointed to the deli's signature Big John Combo, still listed at $17.99 and stacked with ham, turkey, roast beef, pastrami, corned beef, salami, bologna, Swiss and American cheese, plus "all the trimmings." In other words, no one is walking away from that sandwich hungry.
Neighbors Remember The Savas Era
Local deli operator Matt Caputo told The Salt Lake Tribune that his father "really liked Jim and the Grove Market" and recalled its "insanely huge and delicious deli sandwiches." With the doors open again, longtime customers are now waiting to see if the new owners keep those old-school recipes and famously generous portions exactly as they remember them.
What To Expect
The return looks more like a soft reopening than a big relaunch. Efforts to contact the new ownership have so far gone nowhere, and the hand-lettered signs in the window suggest the same menu, and prices are sticking around for now. What is clear is that fans of piled-high sandwiches can once again head to 1906 S. Main St. to find out what the new operators have in store and whether the Grove Market legend still lives up to its name.
