South Philly sandwich shop John's Roast Pork – as famous its hot roast pork specialty as it is for its cheesesteaks – will close indefinitely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which already had caused the popular restaurant to scale back its hours of operations.
Owner John Bucci announced the decision in a Facebook post Friday, saying that family members of his staff had tested positive for COVID-19.
Posted by John's Roast Pork on Friday, November 13, 2020
"We are shutting down, immediately!" Bucci said. "I am very sorry, but trying to do the responsible thing."
Bucci said he will have the restaurant deep-cleaned and sanitized ahead of renovations planned for January.
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Earlier in the pandemic, Bucci said the restaurant was experiencing staff and food product shortages. The restaurant had switched to call-in orders only to reduce wait times at the luncheonette.
The eatery was established in 1930 and has been passed down through three generations. The famous roast pork sandwich has garnered national recognition on several occasions, prompting the restaurant to make nationwide delivery available to customers.
With renovations set for January, it's unclear when the shop will reopen.