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So when Peggy Curry, a long-serving waitress at the restaurant, fell ill recently, the store's owner Francesco Leone acted as if his mother was sick. He made daily visits to the hospital to bring food and news, and he started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her bills until she could get back on her feet.
That fundraiser generated more than $11,000 so far, 10 percent more than his original goal. They reached that goal in under 48 hours. Leone said it's a testament to how beloved Curry is with customers and coworkers alike.
"She’s the mom to all of us at the restaurant," he said. "The community loves her, and she loves them."
Curry has been a waitress at Montclair Family Restaurant for 30 years. Many customers she took care of when they were children now bring their kids to the 17001 Dumfries Road eatery.
"She's the face of the restaurant," Leone said. "... I have customers call me every day asking when Peggy will be back."
Curry wants to return to the restaurant very soon, even though doctors have told her to take it easy for a while. "She's stubborn," Leone said with a laugh. "... She's always the one who takes care of people. It's hard for her to accept help."
When Leone purchased the restaurant several years ago, Curry's knowledge was invaluable. He said she was patient with him and helped him with whatever he needed as he got settled.
"That's the way she treats everybody," Leone said. "There aren't many people like Peggy out there."
Curry said she hopes to be back at the restaurant later this month. But until then, she's still generating business. Some of her doctors from Sentara Healthcare have become regulars at Montclair Family Restaurant.
"That just shows you the kind of person Peggy is," Leone said.
Peggy says the same thing about Francesco.
"He didn't have to do any of this," she said. "He did more for me than any manager should have. It's been a pretty stressful month, but the (the GoFundMe) money and Francesco checking in on me have made it a lot easier to deal with."
Click here to see the GoFundMe campaign.
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