Stanley Zabar’s legacy extends far beyond iconic NYC grocery store as New Yorkers remember his lasting impact

Detailed summary

Stanley Zabar helped transform his family’s modest smoked-fish business into a New York institution alongside his late brother Saul.

For generations, this iconic Upper West Side grocery store, where New Yorkers have shopped for everything from smoked salmon and coffee to rugelach, has been as much a part of the city’s fabric as yellow taxis — a neighborhood institution whose orange-and-white awning became synonymous with New York itself.

But behind the beloved institution was a man whose generosity extended far beyond its walls.

Stanley Zabar, who passed away at 94 this week, helped transform his family’s modest smoked-fish business into a New York institution alongside his late brother Saul.

But across the city, he is remembered for something quieter: his extraordinary generosity and his commitment to helping others thrive — from nurturing young chefs to supporting artists, students, and future doctors.

At Hunter College, where his wife of 74 years, Judith, is an alumna, the couple supported scholarships, food assistance for students, arts programming, and major library renovations.

“Stanley and his wife Judy, a Hunter alumna, have been extraordinarily generous to the college for decades in multiple dimensions,” Hunter College President Nancy Cantor told The Post.

“Their support for scholarships, for Hillel at Hunter, and for our Purple Apron Food Pantry has made a real difference in students’ lives every day,” she added.

Zabar also helped aspiring chefs find their footing through the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), where he served as a longtime board member.

“Stanley Zabar was more than a NY institution; he was a truly generous and genuinely good man who put his time, heart, and name behind causes he believed in,” said Richard Grausman, the nonprofit’s founder and Zabar’s longtime friend.

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