Noah’s Deli owner Teresa Bolan (left) talks with Dearborn firefighters during the second day of the restaurant’s reopening on April 3.
By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — The sounds of sandwich orders, greeting of familiar faces and a phone ringing off the hook filled Noah’s Deli, 14500 Michigan Ave. during its April 2 reopening.
Noah’s Deli owner Teresa Bolan’s face was filled with a smile as she served her customers again after a four-and-a-half-month break to restore the building after a Jeep crashed into it in November.
On Nov. 12 a 42-year-old Dearborn woman crashed her uninsured Jeep into the back of the building causing more than $100,000 in damage.
Bolan said a new fire suppression system, back wall and electrical system in the kitchen had to be replaced at the 100-year-old building as a result of the crash.
“For seven weeks I came to the building and cleaned up everything and repainted,” she said. “After waiting 100 days for the insurance to approve repair funds, the remaining work took 40 days.”
During the 140 days, Bolan said she was most worried about her employees who were out of work during the holidays.
“Customers donated money to help our employees that time when the restaurant was closed, and I love them for that,” she said.
The restaurant is like a second home to Bolan, owning it for seven years after she worked there for over 20 years as a waitress.
Now that Bolan’s back in business seeing familiar faces, creating a friendly atmosphere and great food for customers is her main focus.
Dearborn Fire Battalion Chief Michael Brackett has been visiting Noah’s Deli for five years and said he loves the wonderful and helpful staff along with the French toast served at breakfast.
Another longtime customer, Peter Hook, lives in Ann Arbor but works in Dearborn and has been eating at the restaurant for almost seven years.
“I love the waitstaff and, of course, the food is really good,” he said. “My usual order is the Dinty Moore on marble rye bread with lettuce, onion and tomato.”
Like any other who eats lunch at Noah’s Deli, customer Jerry Berendt was doing the same with his two friends.
“I’ve been coming here for three years and I love their food,” he said. “The corn beef sandwich is my favorite. I’m really happy the restaurant is open again.”
For more information on Noah’s Deli go to www.noahs-deli.com.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)