Perry’s/Michael’s Deli

When Michael’s Deli opened in 1981, it was already a King of Prussia tradition. The delicatessen was founded at its Town Center Road location by local entrepreneur Walt Perry in 1954 as one of the anchor stores of the young Valley Forge Shopping Center. As the years progressed and stores came and went. Food Fair, Valley Forge Hardware, Grants Department Store, the 5 & 10, Pizza Hut, A & P, The Donut Shop, the Brunswick-King of Prussia Lanes Bowling Alley, Carvelle Cleaners, Record Revolution, The Inn, The Queen and King movie theaters, Valley Forge Drug Store, Marshalls and so much more, the delicatessen continued on as a favorite family eating and drinking place. . . .

Michael’s Deli was noted for its wide selection of beers. Many different varieties from all over the world. You could only buy a six pack at a time. It was store policy that you had to turn around and go back in if you wanted to buy a second six pack. As Perry’s or Michael’s, it was popular as a gather and meeting place. After church on Sunday. After the big game on Saturday. It featured a back room where parties could be held and a spacious additional dining area added in later years as it expanded into the adjacent space. Carolyn Harper Tucker worked at Michael’s on Sunday mornings as a cashier when she was 14. She worked there during school breaks and summers as a waitress and cashier during college. Her sisters worked there too.

Familiar faces greeted patrons at the cash register. One such person was cashier David Saxon who worked at Perry’s on Town Center Road for eighteen years and shared some of the clippings that grace this profile. Another was Mrs. Pauline Hassinger of Brandywine Village. A widow, Pauline was a friendly and welcoming visage up front for many a year. Shirley Gray worked as a waitress at Michael’s since they opened until just a couple of years before they closed. Herb Kershner, was a long-time employee and is said to have loved being behind the deli counter. Paul Saylor and his cousin Harry Rigg worked at the “New Perry’s” in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. In the mid 1980’s, Michael Centrella opened a second Michael’s Deli in a former Phillies Steaks on Rt. 202 which lasted a few years before it closed. It was located where the Enterprise Car Rental is between the old Valley Forge Tavern and Motel 6. . . . continued . . .