10 hours ago
Watch: Deer crashes into Friendly Toast in Portsmouth, smashes window
PORTSMOUTH — A deer scrambling through downtown jumped through the front window of the Friendly Toast, smashing the glass, flipping and landing between tables less than a half hour before the eatery was slated to open Friday, June 20.
The Congress Street business won't open Friday as shards of glass are picked up and the restaurant is sanitized before reopening June 21, according to restaurant general manager Angelika Faron.
"We have plywood currently there," she said. "We're going to stay closed for the day just to be able to deep clean the restaurant. With the nature of the accident, we don't know if the deer was healthy or whatnot."
The incident, captured on the restaurant's surveillance cameras, occurred just after 7 a.m. Friday, right before the eatery's scheduled 7:30 a.m. opening.
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The deer leapt headfirst into the building, crashing through the window and somersaulting into the restaurant. Faron noted staffers were present and within five minutes they safely coaxed the deer out the back door.
"This is a career first for me and for every other manager I have on staff," Faron said. "None of us have ever encountered this, even the company as a whole. We're happy it didn't happen while we had guests here. I'm really proud of our staff and our sous chef, Andrew, that managed to get it out the back door."
Portsmouth police were called, but the deer was gone upon arrival, according to Lt. Chris Kiberd. A downtown officer spotted the deer roaming elsewhere shortly before the Friendly Toast management team called the department, Kiberd added.
A sign was posted to the Friendly Toast's surviving front window notifying customers of the one-day closure.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Watch: Deer crashes into Friendly Toast in Portsmouth, smashes window
