Community Spotlight: Montford Deli

Dave and Courtney Sweeting grew Montford Deli from a corner store sandwich counter into a brick-and-mortar restaurant with a loyal following. ⁠

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The Friday after Helene, Dave and Courtney found the restaurant threatened by rising waters in front and a landslide in the back. Miraculously, Dave says, the building was unharmed, but several employees' homes were lost to the flooding.⁠

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Rather than let the food in the walk-in go to waste, the Sweetings pulled everything perishable and assembled free meal kits for their neighbors, who repaid the kindness with a donation bucket. "It was a blessing," says Sweeting.⁠

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The donations helped them order enough food to re-open with a limited menu once power was restored, and now the remaining five employees are working six days a week to keep people fed, even extending their Saturday hours to include breakfast.⁠

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The community's love for Montford Deli is evident from the steady line at the counter and the sizzling symphony emanating from the kitchen. "The community is coming out in droves," Sweeting says, choking back tears. "I think we're just gonna take it one day at a time, and see where we go from here."⁠