MAYFIELD, Pa. -- A popular hoagie shop knocked out by a storm earlier this year is back in business in Lackawanna County.
From the looks of the line at Steve and Irene's on Route 6 in Mayfield, this was one day customers had circled on the calendar.
"Day one. Had to be here," said one customer.
"Pretty obvious, it's pretty busy, trying to call all day," added Terrence Root of Hawley.
Orders were pouring in even before lunch and owners Steve and Katie Archer were busy. So were the employees on the first day of business since a storm hit in April, ripped off the roof and closed the popular hoagie shop.
"We had no choice but to close and then say what could we do here to make this place what it is what we want it to be," said Katie Archer.
Steve and Irene's has been open since the 1970s. Until that storm, not a lot has changed on the inside. The owners decided to upgrade a little bit, expand, and change. One thing that hasn't changed is the food.
"They're like, 'Oh my God. It's my pregnancy craving. I wanted it for my birthday,' " said employee Amanda Connolly.
"Very loyal customers," said Steve Archer. "Yeah, very loyal. Through our whole construction people are just showing up and commenting on Facebook and calling and sending support," added his wife Katie.
Now the employees have a whole new setup in the kitchen, but it came at the cost of losing something that's been more than just a business to many.
"Oh yeah, it was like I lost my home," said Connolly.
"Place is amazing, can't find a hoagie like it anywhere. When it closed we were lost," said Stephen Gullone of Childs.
At Steve and Irene's, on day one, the owners thought they'd be busy. They were right. They posted to Facebook and said sorry they couldn't fill all the orders but at least, they're back in business.