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Food coverage is supported by a generous donation from Susan and Moses Libitzky.

First, Saul’s Deli in Berkeley lost its buyer because of the coronavirus. Now the owners have decided to shutter their doors, at least for the time being, Berkeleyside reported last week.

On March 12, owners Peter Levitt and Karen Adelman found out that they had lost their buyer for the beloved Berkeley institution. The sale fell through after the buyer’s bank canceled loans to restaurants, an industry hard hit by the coronavirus quarantine.

“It was a gut punch. I couldn’t breathe, and our hearts were sore,” Levitt said.

Though Levitt and Adelman had switched to a takeout and delivery model and had tried to follow rules of social distancing, it proved too hard to enforce and they made the difficult decision to close for now.

They’ve set up a GoFundMe for employees, which by the weekend had raised close to its $10,000 goal, and gift cards are available on the Saul’s website. Levitt told Berkeleyside he has faith they will be able to reopen when the time is right.