[4] While both establishments continued to be rated highly in recent years, Main Deli never won the ‘Best Montreal Sandwich Award’ which usually went to Schwartz's.

However under new ownership, the quality of the food began to decline while prices rose, as the meat wasn't smoked in-house anymore while the coleslaw was taken off the menu.

[8] The Main Deli closed in May 2023, with its demise attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic in Montreal, unrelenting city construction on Saint Laurent Boulevard, and rising costs from recent food inflation.

Whole beef briskets were cured with brine and their own spice mix consisting of black pepper, garlic, coriander, mustard seed, and other ingredients found in Montreal steak seasonings.

[10] Peter Varvaro Sr. indicated that while the spice mixture was important, it was the method of smoking and cooking the meat that contributed to its flavours and textures.