Jim Delligatti and the lake’s food culture
Michael “Jim” Delligatti’s best-known contribution to American food came in 1967, when he introduced the Big Mac at his McDonald’s restaurant in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. The company’s own tribute records that milestone.
His connection to Deep Creek was more local and personal. Reporting on the Honi Honi Bar’s fiftieth anniversary identifies him as its founder, with its first liquor license issued in 1969. The bar was conceived as a sister business to his Pizza Pub at the lake.
The Deep Creek centennial timeline also credits Delligatti with opening Arrowhead Deli and Market in 1980. Those ventures place him within the everyday food-and-recreation landscape of the lake, not only the history of a national chain.
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Sources used for this page. Historical interpretation is separate from the current menu.
- McDonald’s · Statement on Michael “Jim” Delligatti
Primary company record of the Big Mac’s 1967 introduction in Uniontown.
- The Garrett County Republican, excerpt · Honi Honi celebrates 50 years
Local reporting republished by Jay Ferguson, January 18, 2019.
- Deep Creek Lake 100 Years · Arrowhead Deli and Market
Local timeline records Jim Delligatti opening the market in 1980.
