About
At 12 years old, Ben was working at a deli in Astoria. Fascinated by the aromas and the delight on peoples faces when getting their food. Ben knew he wanted to work with food. As year went by he would get promoted to take on more responsibilities at work. Remember, he was only a teen.
One Christmas eve, the phone orders were drilling through that rotary phone and Ben's boss was about to blow a fuse with so much to do. Ben always was sharp with his work and used to watch the chef prepare amazing delicatessen delights. Also, he grew up in a traditional Italian family where food was very important. So, in this Christmas eve, his boss asked him if he could do the fruta de mare. Without hesitation Ben jumped to the task and assured his boss he would do the best frutti de mare he had ever seen. The rest is history. Ben was immediately added to the cook line and became a chef.
Over the years he would work at other food establishments learning new techniques and new recipes. Then life brought him a beautiful family. He couldn't fully provide by only working in the restaurants so he went on to work for the MTA as a city bus driver.
Over the years everyone in the community and his family would encourage him to open his own deli. One day in 2002 he woke up and that's exactly what he did. Benateris was born. Now, when you walk into Benateris you're faced with some of the most delicious traditional Italian dishes you can expect. Also, you're faced with a long line (typical of any high quality NYC establishment). But that only makes it better so you can see the variety of dishes that you can choose from.
Benateris is the typical New York City success story of a kid who had a dream and made it come true. In it you'll find nothing but a delicious experience. You would never know how good a sandwich can be until you try one at Benateris!