latimes.com

In sad news for pastrami lovers, Junior's Deli is shutting its doors by the end of the year because of a rent dispute.

Employees, some of whom have been working at the deli for decades, learned Wednesday of the impending shutdown, according to a story in The Times' Business section.

"It's catastrophic for me," co-owner David Saul told The Times. "I'm at a loss. It's like I'm grieving a death."

His father, Marvin Saul, opened the delicatessen after a failed stint as a uranium miner in Utah. Junior was his nickname as a child.

Among the restaurant's patrons have been celebrities such as Bruce Willis and Mel Brooks, who purportedly wrote parts of his comedic film "History of the World Part 1" there.

Originally on Pico Boulevard, the deli moved to its current location at 2379 Westwood Blvd. in 1967.

Read The Times' story here.

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