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Get your free copy- A deli facing closure has attracted a huge campaign, with many British celebrities vowing for the shop not to shut
Gaby Elyahou, the manager of Gaby’s Deli in West London has sparked a social media frenzy because his landlord Gascoyne Holdings is planning to close the shop and replace it with a chain restaurant.
The approved planning application has provoked a reaction from celebrities such as Simon Callow, Vanessa Redgrave, Miriam Margolyes, and director Mike Leigh and the group of stars are planning their support by running a select number of cabaret nights in-store.
Only last weekend the much-loved actor, Henry Goodman performed to a shop packed full of diners. He sang to the crowd, “At Gaby’s we love life and food and we love the theatre.”
The deli which has been in London’s Theatreland since 1965 has been serving theatre-goers eastern treats such as falafels for over 50 years.
Mr Elyahou told The Guardian, “What has upset me is that small businesses have no power to keep going. These big landlords know they could get you out tomorrow, yet if you go to Paris you see small shops and cafés of different kinds. As a result, these bistro chains have no chance there. But if I walk from Oxford Circus to my deli what do I see? Only big shops and chains all selling the same thing.”
Image courtesy of Kazam Media /Rex Features
