It's chilly and rainy on a late Sunday morning, and Izzy and Zoe's is packed.
Even the driving rain can't deter hordes of Penn students from the prospect of enjoying an omelette -- choose from cheese, ham, broccoli, spinach and mushroom fillings. That's why, clad in everything from sorority sweatpants to rain slickers, they've crowded into this one-of-a-kind delicatessen on 40th Street.
On the weekends, the line never subsides, and every seat in the cozy cafe is filled. While waiting, customers choose from a huge menu of creative selections plastered on the wall behind the register, and colorful cartoon-style murals of University City surround the room. A massive jar is always full of free pickles to tide you over while you wait for your name to be called.
"I definitely come here a lot," says College sophomore Emily Wise, who has found a seat at a long table in the middle of the lively scene.
"Yes, you do!" laughs a friend of hers.
"I live right around the corner though," she explains.
Many frequent customers, like Wise, have their personal favorites.
"They have the best turkey chili, but no one knows about it," she says.
There are many reasons for the homey feel of Izzy and Zoe's. It's a family establishment, owned by husband and wife Jon and Elissa Rivkind. Though their two daughters, at 3 and 4 years old, are a little young to help out with the business, they certainly share a big part of it.
They are Izzy and Zoe.
The deli opened in February 2000, and Izzy was born about a month later. The "Izzy" in the store's name was originally for Jon's late grandfather Isadore.
"When we signed the lease, we didn't know Elissa was pregnant," Jon explains. "We were going to name her Brooke, but I didn't want to have jealousy. So her name is Isabel Brooke."
But the personal touches go beyond the deli's name.
Mentions of the Rivkinds' friends and family members, as well as personal anecdotes, appear all over the menu at Izzy and Zoe's.
Hot brisket with swiss cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing on marble rye is better known as the "Ellen and Ken Saved Us Again" -- named for Jon's parents. Scottie, referenced in the name of sandwich number 9, "Scottie's Work Out," is Elissa's brother.
Number 7, titled "Memories of Room #7" is a tribute to Jon's room in the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house that he lived in as an undergraduate at Penn State.
"That's the sandwich I used to order every day in college," he says.
The Rivkinds began speaking to Penn about opening a restaurant on campus about two years before signing a lease for their current location. At the time, Jon owned bagel stores in Center City.
"I didn't want to do just bagels anymore, and we gave Penn a whole concept for the place. It takes a long time to get anything done with Penn, but it worked out in the end," he says.
Prior to the bagel business, Jon graduated from law school and worked in congressional politics. Elissa is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and together, they created the idea for Izzy and Zoe's and thought up its unique deli menu.
From the start, Izzy and Zoe's was a hit with Penn students.
"The first four days we were open, we had to close early because we ran out of food," Jon remembers. "The average wait time was 45 minutes to an hour, and it stayed like that for the first year."
With experience, the staff at Izzy and Zoe's now manages to handle double the volume of customers, with a wait time of about 15 to 20 minutes on a busy day, Jon says.
"Everyone who works here has been here since within the first two or three months," he adds.
The camaraderie among the staff at Izzy and Zoe's adds to the restaurant's friendly, personal atmosphere.
"We all have our quirks, but we know each others' bad and good sides, and we can make up for it," Jon says.
"Jon and Elissa are fun people, they're young, still in touch with the kids," says Kate Giordano, who began working at Izzy and Zoe's just a few months after it opened. "We all seem to get along pretty well, since most people have been here for so long."
Izzy and Zoe's sandwiches come piled high, and picky customers always have the option of creating their own specialties from the wide selection of breads, bagels, meats, cheeses, spreads and veggies.
The breakfast menu is served all day and is very popular, along with salads and "Traditional Jewish Favorites" like potato latkes and noodle pudding.
After placing an order, customers are always asked their name, rather than being given a number.
"We want to know them and have them know us. That's what I wanted to create," Jon explains. "Most people order the same thing every time, so I know their order right away, and it speeds things up too."
His favorites?
"I'm boring," he laughs. "Grilled chicken on wheat with lettuce and tomato. That or egg white omelettes."
Izzy and Zoe have their usuals as well. Izzy is partial to the egg and cheese, while Zoe is a big tuna fish lover.
Elissa is now pregnant with the couple's third child -- another girl. What to do about the name remains undecided.
"We thought of Andrea, so it could fit right in as the 'and' in Izzy and Zoe's," Jon says.
"But I don't want to name my kid completely for the store," he laughs.
"Maybe I'll start another place," he adds. "But then Izzy and Zoe will get upset because they will have to share."
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