It will have been 140 days since Noah's Deli was last open, and owner Teresa Bolan has been counting down every one of them. She's also received at least one phone call, sometimes several more, on each of the days she's been closed, each from longtime customers wondering why the lights were out at Noah's Deli.
The neighborhood counter in east downtown Dearborn has been serving breakfast and lunch for more than 40 years now, and it's built up quite a loyal clientele since first opening in 1977. So when a driver crashed their car through the back of her business on Nov. 12, 2017, forcing Bolan to close for repairs, there was no way she was going to let Noah's Deli stay closed for good.
Noah's Deli is celebrating its
Grand Re-Opening Monday, April 2, beginning at 6 a.m., restoring its traditional breakfast and lunch service, and to be punctuated with celebratory cake and cupcakes.
"It was extra sad around the holidays, with the employees being out of their jobs, but we stayed strong because we just had to keep it together," says Bolan. "No one's going to shut me down."
"I never doubted that it would come back because this is my life. I love this place."
Bolan likens Noah's Deli to a Cheers-like atmosphere, a place of loyal regulars that have known each other for years. Customers sit around a U-shaped counter, trading stories about the neighborhood from the counter's 29 stools.
Noah's Deli is known for its corned beef and pastrami but also serves some other breakfast and lunch favorites.
The car crash that forced Noah's temporary closing took out the back wall, awning, and infrastructure, all of which has been completely re-built.
Bolan started at Noah's as a server, where she worked for 20 years before becoming the owner seven years ago. She can't wait to get back to business.
"Now that everything's fixed, it's so exciting. I want everyone to know about it," says Bolan.
"It was always my dream to own this place."
Noah's Deli is located at 14500 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn.
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