WINSLOW — Several employees of Big G’s Deli, the iconic sandwich shop in Winslow, confirmed Monday the restaurant has closed permanently.

Gerry Michaud, co-owner of Big G’s Deli at 581 Benton Ave. in Winslow, stands Nov. 11, 2013, with his newly renamed sandwich, the 41,470, named for the number of U.S. deaths in the Vietnam War. The sandwich was formerly the Jane Fonda. Morning Sentinel file photo

While folding up picnic tables behind the deli at 581 Benton Ave., co-owner Joshua Michaud said the decision to close was made by the Michaud family a few months ago, though he wished the family never had to make it.

The deli offered sandwiches, wraps and more since it was founded by and named after co-owner Gerald Michaud Jr. in 1986.

The word “Closed” was written across the front windows of the restaurant and its website was abruptly updated to read, “Sorry, we have closed as of 7/14/2024.”

“We’re still a little bit in shock. None of us thought this would happen,” Joshua said. “Everybody just realized we can’t keep doing this.”

Big G’s Deli was a staple for decades in Winslow and much of central Maine, known for its expansive menu, large portions and homemade white, wheat, rye and pumpernickel breads used for sandwiches.

Years of financial hardship and staffing shortages have challenged the deli since before the COVID-19 pandemic, Joshua said, and the Michaud family had been operating the business at a loss for “some time.”

A photograph published July 1, 1988, in the Morning Sentinel shows Gerry Michaud at Big G’s Deli’s new location on Halifax Street in Winslow.

“We’ve just been wearing ourselves to the bone covering all the hours, just the family and a couple of dedicated people,” Joshua said. “Everybody’s just worn out. It’s not one of the easier kitchen jobs.”

Gina Genica, the now-former kitchen manager, confirmed Monday the restaurant’s closure is permanent, saying the Michauds and their employees have worked hard to keep the deli open for years.

“They gave it one hell of a fight right to the end, and the decision was not made light heartedly,” she wrote in a text message. “I got the privilege of working with legends and being taught by them. The time I spent there was the best job I ever had. Yes, it could be high paced, and pressure comes with that, but to make great food with people like that is an experience I couldn’t have had anywhere else.”

Hundreds of messages expressing surprise, sadness and sympathy poured onto social media after the deli’s website was updated, with many people sharing stories from when they had eaten at Big G’s Deli and expressing shock at its abrupt closure.

“This don’t make any sense to me. It was always so busy and people came from everywhere,” one Facebook commenter wrote.

“I can remember going there when they first opened, eating on picnic tables,” wrote another. “But people get older and they don’t want to run a business anymore. I totally understand that. They will be missed for sure.”

Years of financial hardship and staffing shortages led to the venerated restaurant’s closure, Joshua said. His family had been operating Big G’s at a loss “for some time,” and decided the summer of 2024 would be the last.

“We held on as long as we could, but the size of the business requires a good few employees to run it,” he said. “We’ve been struggling for a long time. Two, three, four people down all the time, and the people that are here, their health is starting to go now. It’s just impossible at this point.”

Though Joshua said it was too soon to tell what his family members will do next, they are grateful for the years of support they have received from across Maine and the country over the past 38 years.

“Don’t make it a sob story, because it’s not,” he said. “We did good. It was just time.”