When I heard from Theresa that we were invited to see the renovated Chicken Deli a week before its grand opening, I was mixed.  I mean this was the place to be way back when I was in school.  Those were the days.  Back then, the Young and Eglinton area was fondly referred to as the young and eligible area and the Deli was the place to be. 

The Chicken Deli had a reputation for having a great atmosphere, great consistent staff, great bands that never disappointed and great bar food, especially the famous wings.

There was something not to be messed with.  It was like the layout, the lighting, the patio and the bar areas were so perfectly laid out that the Deli worked.  And the prospect of that being affected with a “renovation”, well, I was mixed about it.

Sure the last time I was there it still seemed that the carpet, tables and chairs were the same as when I was in school, some 20 years ago.  Sure there may have been a bit of crunch to the cushions on the chairs when you sat on them.  But die-hard Deli fans would say it was part of the brand of the Chicken Deli.  Sure one could argue that it needed desperately a makeover in order to attract new loyal customers.  But I knew that with this renovation, that my opinion of the place would change.

We arrived to find the doors locked and the windows still papered to prevent peering eyes like mine from ruining the surprise.  There was a shock to see the enormous blue sign where the old yellow one used to proudly stand with that massive rotating chicken above it that you could probably see from space.  Yesiree, one of my favorite party destinations was no longer the Chicken Deli.  It was now and forever to be called the Peoples Chicken. 

The Peoples Chicken greeted me with a new patio with glass railings.  It gave the impression that the patio was quite large and inviting.  Once inside I realized that they too must have been worried.  The basic layout is exactly the same, the floors are nicely tiled, and the walls and lighting are modern and bright but not overpowering.  The bathrooms have upgraded sinks.  The dance floor was given more room and the wall colours are definitely different.  The new warm and inviting wall tones with the combination of paint and wall tile is the most overt change that I noticed.  That combined with the new lighting makes for an exciting upgrade to this nightlife landmark.

I was permitted to snap off a few sneak peak photos that can be viewed here.  I invite you to get excited.  Whether you are a regular, or haven’t been in decades or have never been to the Deli, mark next Thursday, August 25^th, on your calendar and discover the Peoples Chicken with us at This Great City.  You should get there early and be sure to drop by This Great City’s table.