Sri Kumarasingam outside his restaurant, Pastorante, where a gunshot shattered his front window on Friday.
Sri Kumarasingam was in “disbelief” when he was called by police to his Midtown restaurant, Pastorante, early Friday morning.
The large front window of his Italian restaurant on the 1000-block of N. 3rd St. was shattered, leaving a gaping hole in the front of the business.
And to Kumarasingam, the timing was especially bad.
“We are trying to get back to normal after COVID; this is the last thing we need,” he said. “It’s a struggle just to keep the doors open.”
According to the Harrisburg Police Bureau, shots were fired at 1 a.m. at N. 3rd and Herr streets. No one was injured. In addition to the restaurant, one vehicle was damaged.
Kumarasingam said that no employees were present at the time of the incident.
Pastorante posted a photo of the shattered window to their Facebook page on Friday morning.
Pastorante has boarded up the window for the time being, with hopes that a new one will be installed in a few weeks. Kumarasingam estimated that a replacement would cost around $5,000. He’s not sure what insurance will cover yet.
While Pastorante is closed for lunch on Friday, Kumarasingam expects to open for dinner Friday night. He plans to post an update on their Facebook page.
Since the restaurant’s opening in 2013, Kumarasingam said that there have been no incidents as serious as this one.
He hopes that customers will continue to support the business, he said, and looks forward to offering special menu items during Harrisburg Restaurant Week, which takes place Sept. 12 to 16 and Sept. 19 to 23.
Kumarasingam also created a GoFundMe page to support Pastorante as business has decreased due to the appearance of the shop, he said.
Pastorante is located at 1012 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website or Facebook page for updates.
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