Chick & Ruth’s Delly Owner Dies

By Krista Pfunder 

An iconic part of downtown Annapolis is mourning the loss of one of its own. Keith Jones, the owner of Chick & Ruth’s Delly in Annapolis, died Jan. 22, at age 58. 

The restaurant, which has been a mainstay on Main Street for more than 50 years, is considered an institution among locals and has been featured on The Travel Channel’s Man Vs Food. 

The owner of famous Chick & Ruth’s Delly, Jones bought the popular eatery in 2017 from the Levitt family who founded it in 1965. The restaurant is known not only for its food, but for the daily Pledge of Allegiance, the quirky sandwich names and as a popular meeting spot for public officials, 

“Chick and Ruth’s is such an iconic Main Street destination,” Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley says. “I know that Keith Jones bought that business because he fell in love with it. It was truly a labor of love, and I have to admire a man that follows his heart. He will be greatly missed.”