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But a stolen U-Haul truck barreled through the deli's front facade on Sunday, Nov. 20, putting the local eatery's future in doubt, according to its owners.
"If you can imagine what a large U-Haul truck traveling at over 90 miles per hour would do if it entered a Wawa, you'll get an idea of what happened at Lee's Deli," wrote owner Scott Lee on GoFundMe.
The truck did so much damage that "it destroyed nearly everything inside and outside" the deli, he added.
Still, Lee said, friends and well-wishers were on the scene the very next day offering to help.
"Less than 12 hours later we had neighbors coming by with brooms, gloves, and bags to help clean up the debris," he told Daily Voice.
"The simple gesture of people showing up to see us, in the 20 degrees late-November morning cold, with no clear idea of how to help but with the determination to help us in any way, was so inspiring to see."
While thankful that no one was hurt, Scott said he and the deli team were feeling blue after the accident and unsure how to proceed — especially after learning from city officials that the building needed serious repairs.
"Candidly, we were debating hard whether or not to set up a GoFundMe page because we felt down and discouraged about what happened to us," he said.
"But over the last couple of days we kept on receiving encouragement and messages from friends, neighbors, and even strangers — all asking 'how can I help?'"
Lee's Deli took the community up on its offer, and as of Thursday, Dec. 1, the GoFundMe campaign has raised a staggering $27,000 in only six days.
The team says the money will go toward repairing the building and getting back in business.
Scott writes that the deli crew is meeting with "structural engineers, clean-up crews, construction teams," technical specialists, and city officials to clean up the mess. They'd originally hoped to be back on the job by Black Friday, but that proved impossible due to "the level of destruction and damages" caused by the crash.
"Based on our conversations with various people over this past week, it will likely be months — not weeks — until we can reopen," Scott told Daily Voice.
While there's still no clear timeline, the Lee's Deli team says it's working hard to get back in business and serve the community it has called home since 1993.
In the meantime, Scott knows his neighbors in West Philly have his back.
"These have been dark days for us with a future outlook that's quite uncertain, but our community has made this darkness a little brighter and this cold a little warmer," he said.
"We cannot wait to be back doing what we love for the Philadelphia community that we love. Until then, the words 'thank you' fall short of being able to express the depth of our gratitude for those who are standing here with us during this difficult time."
Click here to support the Lee's Deli team on GoFundMe.
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