What to Know
- A man who claims to be a former dishwasher at Carnegie Deli is leading a bid to keep the iconic sandwich shop open.
- It comes days after owner Marian Harper announced the restaurant would close at the end of the year
- The restaurant, famous for its overstuffed pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, was opened in 1937
A man who said he was once a dishwasher at Carnegie Deli is hoping to pile up signatures in an effort to save the iconic New York City deli.
Samuel Mussovic said in a news release that he is hoping to raise $5 million to take over the midtown Manhattan deli from owner Marian Harper, who announced last Friday that she was shutting the business down after 79 years in business.
"New Yorkers can't let this happen to this landmark institution," Mussovic and others who support his plan said in the release.
Mussovic said he plans to present Harper with a petition with "millions" of signatures by the end of the year in addition to the $5 million bid to take over the restaurant.
Harper announced she was shutting down the business on Friday, citing the long days that go with operating a restaurant in Manhattan. She said she plans to keep the restaurant open through the holiday season.
Harper said that Carnegie Deli locations at Madison Square Garden, the U.S. Open and at casinos in Pennsylvania and Las Vegas will continue to operate, and its mail-order cheesecake operation will stay open.
