Manhattan’s Deli closes its downtown location at 19th and Farnam due to ongoing streetcar construction.

• Manhattan’s Deli is closing its location at 19th and Farnam due to the ongoing construction.
• Patrons are expressing sadness over the closure, noting concerns for employees who are unable to commute to the deli’s second location.
• Mayor John Ewing Jr. says the city is exploring partnerships with nonprofits to help other businesses survive the disruptive construction.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Manhattan’s Deli closes its downtown location at 19th and Farnam due to ongoing streetcar construction.

Manhattan’s Deli is closing its downtown location at 19th and Farnam today, citing the impact of ongoing construction in the area.

In a recent social media post, the business announced the closure.

“Due to the state of downtown, it no longer makes sense to keep this location open,” the post said.

Construction workers are replacing old underground infrastructure in preparation for a new streetcar, according to Mayor John Ewing.

Longtime patron Douglas Frits said he is sad to see the restaurant leave its home.

“I am really, really upset about it. This has been the best place in town, local for people that are nearby,” Frits said.

Frits said he is worried about other restaurants in the area closing because of the construction. He also noted he is most upset for the employees at the downtown location who cannot make the commute to the deli’s other location.

Ewing said the city wants to help businesses survive the disruptive construction.

“You know, it’s always a sad moment when we have businesses that are suffering. We just want to be a good partner as the city, and then we are looking at some ways that we might be able to partner with the philanthropic and nonprofit communities to be able to see if we can help them even more,” Ewing said.

Ewing said he would like businesses to partner with the city on an effort called “this way” to share information with prospective customers and encourage patronage.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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