Frequently Asked Questions

• Q. When did you first open the Hello Deli?
  
A. Ever since I was a kid I was always fascinated by watching a guy work the griddle, to me it was a form of art. I even dreamed of owning my own slicing machine so that I can create and eat my own sandwiches!! It was during 1990 that I suggested to my biz partner, May, that we should consider branching out and try our luck in the food trade. The following Monday we picked up the times and the classifieds lead us to this storefront. Apparently the owner was close to going out of business and so ( I was later informed that the store went through 4 different owners in two years) after a few days of negotiations we became the new owners of the Hello Deli. I finally got the toy of my dreams!


• Q. How did the deli get its name?
  
A. Hello Deli was the name the previous owner assigned to it. We had contemplated on changing the name but then Dave moved into the neighborhood and when he first surprised us with a visit we were pretty much stuck with the name.


• Q. How did you first get on the Late Show with Dave Letterman?
  
A. The Late show was doing this segment called Lets visit the neighborhood whereby each week they would go out and visit a new neighbor on the block. I think I was the fourth neighbor to get it and it took me totally by surprise. After a little interaction with Dave he ended the segment by inviting me on stage for a standing ovation. This is still the most memorable moment with the Late Show probably because I was soooooo scared.


• Q. What is your favorite appearance on the Late Show?
  
A. I thought "Rupert's Soup of the Day" was fun. Here's an example. The camera would come into the deli and Dave would ask for my Soup of the Day. I would look at my menu board and tell him it's "Whitewater Chowder". Dave would ask "Whats in it?" and I would reply "I have nothing to do with it!! ..........My wife made it!!". The most popular skit however was the one where I would go out into the streets and Dave would tell me what to say or do from a van. The goal of course was to piss off people.


• Q. Do you come up with your own skits for the Late Show?
  
A. No......I have no talent for that.


• Q. How tall are you?
  
A. 5 ft 6 in.


• Q. Do you really own a deli? Or is that just a secret cover-up created by the late show?
  
A. Lots of people think that the Deli is just a prop and that I'm a paid actor (cant see how they came to that conclusion...I couldn't act if my life depended on it). This is a real deli with a real crew.



Got a question for Rupert? E-mail him at: rupert@hello-deli.com