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Famed Reading Terminal Market Still Unsure Whether To Remain Open During Pope's Visit

By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- One Philadelphia institution -- the famed Reading Terminal Market -- still cannot decide whether to remain open during the Pope's visit, because they're not sure how vendors will be able to staff and stock their businesses.

For Anuj Gupta, General Manager of the Reading Terminal Market, the Pope's visit is a chance to showcase market vendors to the world.

"We have the greatest market in the United States and potentially the rest of the world." Says Gupta. "And we want people to come here and see that."

But Gupta still has not decided whether to try to open on the weekend of the Pope's visit, September 26th and 27th.

"We cannot make a firm decision until we know all of the information," says Gupta. "Its Saturday and Sunday that are going to be the most logistically challenging. We have evaluated our options for extra food storage, for extra trash storage. Obviously how folks will get here back and forth for those three days. And I think once we've done all of our due diligence on options, and they have fully released the city's and Homeland Security's plan, then we can make a final determination."

One key issue is how deliveries will come in.

"Look, we rely on deliveries every day here." says Gupta. "Our merchants pull in fresh bread, fresh produce. And we will figure out a way, if we're going to open, to have reduced menus, stock up on items to service those reduced menus. So we want to work towards staying open, we just need more information."

Also unclear to Market vendors is their ability to re-open Monday if traffic restrictions are still in effect. We asked Gupta if he was frustrated by the difficulty in getting answers:

"I'm focusing on what we need to do to come up with a plan. And I'm doing the best that we can under the circumstances, and the information that we have."

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