Northeast Philly businesses inch back toward normal after plane crash
Business has been down at several places amid road closures and increased traffic. But customers were slowly and steadily returning Tuesday.

Behind the counter at R & R Produce in Northeast Philadelphia, Alan Stevenson smiled as he rung up $70 worth of flowers Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m happy to see customers today,” the store manager told the pair making the purchase.
Since a medical jet crashed down the street on Friday night, killing six passengers and a person on the ground and injuring at least 24 others, business at R & R has skidded to a near-standstill.
“A lot of people haven’t realized we’ve been open,” said employee Penelope Camarata.
The store and garden center sits at the busy intersection of Cottman and Bustleton Avenues. While traffic was moving in both directions on Bustleton by Tuesday, the section of Cottman Avenue in front of the store remained closed, cutting off access to the store’s parking lot. Pedestrian access on the block was also limited as the investigation continued.
“In retrospect, we’re lucky,” Stevenson said, motioning toward the store’s front windows, which overlooked the cordoned-off Roosevelt Mall across the street.
The mall remained closed Tuesday but was set to reopen Wednesday. For the past few days, stores in the mall “have lost all revenue,” Stevenson added. “At least we’ve made a little bit here and there.”
And he and Camarata, an EMT and trauma life coach for first responders, are acutely aware of the crash’s human toll and the trauma it has caused. On Friday, they heard the booms, watched the sky turn orange, and saw their sliding doors blow open from the impact.
They know the investigation takes precedence over customer access to their business. But they are hopeful about the slow but steady signs of recovery in the business community. Along Bustleton and Cottman Avenues on Tuesday, streets that been choked with traffic days earlier were clear, no jams in sight. Some people were out grabbing cheesesteaks, pizza, and halal for lunch. Others picked up groceries or went to the gym.
» READ MORE: How the deadly Northeast Philadelphia plane crash unfolded
There were still more police cars than usual and a few TV news trucks, but the scene was nothing like it was over the weekend, business owners said.
Business, however, was still ramping back up.
Around lunchtime, no one was inside Hot Clucks, a fried-chicken spot at Cottman and Bustleton. A manager said business was way down at all hours of the day, with even takeout and third-party delivery being impacted.
At Steve’s Prince of Steaks on Bustleton Avenue, a couple police officers ordered cheesesteaks, while a few other people sat waiting for their orders. Since the crash, they’ve had about half as many customers as usual, said manager Jon Henry.
At Pho Ha Saigon, manager Thao Tran said that like other stores in the Great Northeast Plaza shopping center, the restaurant had to close Friday and Saturday. The police ordered gas and electric be shut off to prevent the spread of fire. Some Pho Ha Saigon workers came in Saturday to clean.
By Sunday, Tran said, the Vietnamese restaurant was reopened, but with also half as many customers as usual. Monday was similarly slow. But around noon Tuesday, several tables were full for lunch.
A few doors down at Pizza Roma, about a dozen people waited for orders or sat at booths chatting. Since reopening Sunday, owner Owen O’Donnell said he’s had to call in extra delivery drivers, so customers’ orders could arrive in a timely manner despite the closed roads and heavier traffic.
It seemed like the traffic issues were abating Tuesday, he said, and business seemed to be picking up. Inside the store, the only thing out of the ordinary was how many people were talking about the crash.
“It’s been bringing the community together,” O’Donnell said. “Just like the Eagles.”
Along Cottman Avenue, business owners said they were hopeful that the road would fully reopen in a few days — and that the normal volume of customers would return then.
At R & R Produce, where Eagles T-shirts hung from the ceiling and plush Valentine’s Day bears sat on display, Stevenson said perhaps even the snow and ice in the forecast would be a boon.
“Maybe we’ll sell some rock salt,” he said with a laugh.