I Camisa and Son Deli Soho’s History, and the Ordeal Facing Restaurants | Eater London

"Founded in 1929 and trading from its Old Compton Street premises since the 1950s, this stalwart Italian deli is celebrated for its simple, stocky Italian sandwiches and carefully chosen Italian provisions. It is due to close after Christmas after failing to find a buyer; the owner, Italian importer Alivini, and representative Gianni Segatta say rising rent and mounting losses have made continuing untenable. The Soho Society has launched a petition urging the freeholder of 61 Compton Street to meet Westminster Council to explore options, while fans have pleaded for protected status and lamented the loss of an independent, characterful shop. A Shaftesbury spokesperson said the company had supported the business for 15 years and during the pandemic and noted the deli will concentrate on its wholesale operations; observers view the closure as emblematic of broader pressures — rising rents, property strategies reshaping Soho and Chinatown, and an economic climate where nostalgia and goodwill cannot be converted into the financial or legal safeguards small businesses need." - James Hansen