Littlejohn’s New York Delicatessen began as a notion, in 1976, that many students from New England were beginning to attend the University of Virginia and that Charlottesville did not have a good delicatessen. Now it does! John M. Crafaik, Jr. was the man with that notion. Growing up, his father was commonly called “Big John”. John Jr. was called “Little John”, and thus the name was born, littlejohn’s, yes without a capital L. The deli began by serving sliced to order traditional delicatessen sandwiches. This soon changed to preslicing meat and cheese daily as the deli’s popularity grew. This is a tradition that has not changed. To ensure product freshness and flavor, all meats and cheeses are still sliced daily. Littlejohn’s sandwiches are all heated in a modified broiler that melts the
cheese on the top while toasting the bread underneath.
The evolution of the unique specialty sandwiches and subs, such as the Wild Turkey, 5 Easy Pieces, Nuclear Sub, and Ranch
Hand, were all creations of Uva. student employees experimenting with ingredients. We are grateful for their creativity as well as the continued support of the University of Virginia and charlottesville community.

Like any successful restaurant, littlejohn’s has evolved over time. John Crafaik’s step-son Chris Strong and his wife Colleen Strong bought the restaurant in 2005. They modified the menu to include hand tossed salads, smaller portion flatbread sandwiches and vegetarian selections. The feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive which proves that littlejohn’s really does have something for everyone.
