After 62 years in the business of corned beef, Goodman’s Sandwich Inn (5164 Pearl Rd., Parma, 216-398-6885) is closing for good, says owner Dennis Goodman.
"We're going out of business," he told me, while slicing corned beef by hand in the front window, just as he always has. "I'm locking the doors and I'm going to retire. It's a wonderful thing."
Goodman says that he has had multiple offers to buy the business, which was started by his father on the East Side of Cleveland. That is not going to happen, he promises.
"I don't want to ruin my name or reputation," he explains. "We've been doing this for 62 years — why kill the business now? I'd rather have people say, 'Boy, that was a good sandwich' than have them say, 'The last time I as there, it was real crap.'"
He says his regulars are extremely disappointed.
Goodman estimates that over the course of his deli's 62-year run, the shop has sliced its way through 7,700,000 pounds of beef, an estimate based on 400 pounds per day. On St. Patrick's Day, the shop devours 2,300 pounds of corned beef.
If you have never been to Goodman's — the best or second-best corned beef deli in town, depending on the day — you have less than a week left. Goodman says that his last day will be some day next week.
"As soon as I run out of beef, I'm done."
