EAST VILLAGE — Punjabi Deli customers used several words to describe the longtime store on East First Street in a new documentary: Easy. Friendly. Superb.
One word they didn’t use: closed.
But that might change, according the short documentary #SavePunjabiDeli, which was shot over the weekend by Harlem resident Adeel Ahmed and released by Tribeca Films on Monday, according to the filmmaker.
The local eatery — beloved by cab drivers, late-night revelers and neighborhood residents for its cheap South Asian food and chai teas — is in danger of closing because of prolonged construction, according to the film.
Business has gone down in the past five years while the city builds a sidewalk park outside the deli, the video said.
The owners have asked the city for a taxi relief stand and will go in front of Community Board 3’s Transportation and Public Safety/Environment Committee Tuesday night to ask for its support.
The short documentary encourages viewers to press the city to complete construction and to build a taxi relief stand in front of the store.
Supporters can show up to the meeting, which will take place at 6:30 p.m. at University Settlement at Houston Street Center on 273 Bowery or by signing up for a timed social media blast through Thunderclap, according to the Tribeca Films’ website.
