Boardwalk Vegan in Havertown seeking help as owner battles cancer

Owner of Boardwalk Vegan in Havertown seeking public's help amid cancer battle

Boardwalk Vegas in Havertown has been serving a taste of boardwalk nostalgia with a vegan twist and now they’re asking the community for help as they stay strong for one of the owner’s battling cancer.

HAVERTOWN, Pa. - For the past five years, Boardwalk Vegan in Havertown has been giving diners a taste of boardwalk nostalgia with a vegan twist, and now they’re asking the community for help as they stay strong for one of the owner’s battling cancer.

What we know:

Randy Sumey, 56, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer called ampullary cancer after a big tumor was found on the tip of his pancreas last September.

He was finally well enough to get surgery on April 2, according to his wife Krissie, and has been at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania ever since. Now, going on about 54 days in a hospital bed.

All the while, Krissie has been trying to keep their mom-and-pop restaurant going, but finally reached a breaking point this past weekend. She nearly called it quits with an online announcement on Sunday but reflected on just how much the restaurant means to both Randy and her.

What they're saying:

"The Boardwalk Vegan community is beyond incredible. Every customer we love and know by name," said Krissie. "We’re a mom-and-pop shop and we’re down pop. Having to spend you know every day in the hospital going back-and-forth to University of Pennsylvania trying to keep the restaurant going, trying to be able to do all those things and still … just smile and to be happy, it’s really difficult without the pop."

Randy chatted with us over Zoom from his hospital bed and said he’s struggling a little bit recently explaining he’s taking a combination of medication, trying to walk again with physical therapy and transitioning from a full liquid diet to soft foods.

"She’s definitely my rock and someone I lean on. I feel bad. I want to get out of here get back to work and help her with the restaurant if I can," said Randy. "I’m just hanging on because I want to see my grandkids grow up and I want to see my son have some success and I want to hang out with my wife as long as I can."

In a final push to keep Boardwalk Vegan afloat, Krissie started a gofundme campaign. 

She said the funds will be used to hire a chef/manager to lighten the load, offset operational costs and payroll and catch them up from falling behind during the most difficult days.

"I hate asking for help and that’s just where we’re at without the pop. We’ve been down," said Krissie. "In times when I want to give up, and I wanted to quit for him, he just wants to live. That’s all he wants to do is he wants to live, and he wants to come back to this restaurant and come back to cooking again."

"We would both be devastated if we had to shut it down," said Randy.

Kyree Kweli is a regular customer and said Boardwalk Vegan is the best restaurant in the area. He hopes the community will step up and support the mom-and-pop restaurant.

"I’m at a loss for words because this restaurant is very important to everybody around here so I hope Randy gets well and beats this and they keep this restaurant afloat," said Kweli.

What you can do:

If you’d like to show Boardwalk Vegan support, you can donate to their gofundme campaign.