ORLANDO, Fla. — A few bangs – an adjustment – and a few more bangs.
That’s what it took to put the new piece of plexiglass in the hole where a bullet-broken window pane was the day before, and giving Sister Soul Food’s owner the temporary solution she needed to re-open for lunch on Wednesday.
“My cousin saw it on the news,” Earline Robinson said, beaming as she oversaw the work – and the family member who stepped in to help.
Robinson’s cousin was hardly the only person to drop in on her Tuesday. Teenagers stopped by after school. Community members came to the door. An advertising agency brought a new TV to replace one that had a bullet go through it.
Sister Soul Food had been on a meteoric rise in Orlando’s food scene since it opened two years ago. Lines form almost every hour the restaurant is open, with community members and visitors clamoring for the quality, affordably-priced food Robinson and her sister consistently provide.
Their journey suffered a major setback on Sunday when at least one person opened fire on a group of teenagers waiting for their food at the counter. Four teens were hit by the hail of bullets that happened both inside and outside the restaurant.
It was the restaurant’s busiest hour of the week, when churchgoers pack its tables.
Police have not yet announced any arrests as investigators continue to piece together what happened and who opened fire. They previously said it stemmed from a dispute between groups of teenagers but haven’t provided any additional information.
“I’m just appalled and just blown away with such news,” Bishop Kelvin Cobaris, an anti-violence advocate, said. “Kids operate life like it’s a video game. And unfortunately, when you shoot and take somebody’s life, there’s no reset.”
Cobaris and other community members had come to expect to feel safe as they walked around Parramore, which has seen its reputation improve amid new policing efforts, more investment from community groups and a region-wide drop in crime.
Many view Sister Soul Food as an integral part of rekindling the business community in Parramore.
That drove the family behind the restaurant, which is normally closed Mondays and Tuesdays, to push to not miss any more meals.
Dejanay Whitehead said the reopening would come with a new safety plan, which the family is not sharing publicly.
“We stand for our community, we stand with our community, and they also stand and behind us,” she said.
The restaurant’s regular Wednesday hours are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.