A small business owner was honored today after decades of feeding hungry mouths in downtown Peoria.
Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis presented a surprise declaration celebrating Donna’s Downtown Deli in the Twin Towers cafeteria.
“One and a half million sandwiches end-to-end would equal 190 miles, almost the distance to Indianapolis,” Ardis said.
Owner Donna Roth has been selling sandwiches for 30 years.
People could go anywhere for food, Roth said, but her restaurant feels like home.
“We try to treat everybody like family. I want them to feel welcome,” she said. “We know them by name, we know their sandwiches. We want them to feel like they’re just walking into their own kitchen."
Many customers, like Stephen Morris, work in the building.
“In a time when there’s so many negative stories, it’s just such a positive small business success story,” Morris said. “I’m just happy for Donna. I’m happy for all the people that eat here everyday, and for Peoria.”