Family carries torch after death of longtime Innsbrook deli owner

It’s no secret that Boychik’s Deli is one of the best breakfast and lunch spots in the West End. This locally-owned staple, tucked into the Shops at Innsbrook at the front of the sprawling office park, has been serving up delicious food since 1990. Owner Scott Elias Sr. passed away September 30th following a battle with cancer, the restaurant posted on its Facebook page last weekend. The post said, in part, “Scott loved every one of his customers and was so grateful for the support he has had since opening the doors in 1990 and through his fight with cancer. God bless.”

The Elias family will carry the torch and continue to operate the restaurant, Richmond BizSense reports in a profile today. The story documents Elias Sr.’s life, the restaurant’s rocky start, and his children’s plans for the spot–spoiler alert: they’re not changing much.

From Richmond BizSense:

Boychik’s is now managed by Johnny and Elias Jr. and they said their father made clear that the restaurant shouldn’t miss a beat.

“We all worked the Sunday before his burial,” Johnny said. “He always said, ‘Even if I die, don’t you dare close the restaurant’…we honored his wishes. It seemed like a fitting tribute because we know he was here with us.”

Building Boychik’s’ success wasn’t easy at first.

The restaurant didn’t turn a profit the first two years it was in business – a result of its location in what was then the outskirts of town.

But continued growth of the area, and rave reviews about Boychik’s Matzah Ball soup, changed all of that by 1993, Elias Jr. said.

Continue reading.