Local Philadelphia Eagles fans won twice — first at the Super Bowl on Sunday night, then at lunch on Monday.

Keith Costello, a Philadelphia native, celebrated his hometown team at his Philly cheesesteak joint in Portland called The 5 Spot. The Congress Street restaurant handed out more than 300 free cheesesteaks during the Monday lunch rush.

“Our customers are our lifeblood,” Costello said. “We wanted to share our joy with them.”

Costello and his wife, Rosetta Iannaconne, opened The 5 Spot nine months ago. It quickly became a hub for fellow Eagles fans, and Costello said he gained 200 more likes on the business’s Facebook page in the week leading up to the Super Bowl. He announced the cheesesteak giveaway on social media after the game Sunday night.

“Congrats to the AFC CHAMPS THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS … BIGGER CONGRATS TO THE SUPER BOWL LII CHAMPIONS … THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES … E-A-G-L-E-S…EAGLES!!!” the Facebook post read.

Costello originally planned to stay open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. But he sold out of 324 rolls and 70 pounds of steak before 1 p.m.

Eagles fans – and a few Patriots fans – formed a gaggle at the counter. On the wall was a chalkboard sign with ordering instructions in Philly slang: “FREE SMALL STEAKS ONLY. WIZ OR WIZ WIT (onions).” An Eagles flag was flapping outside in the wind, and a shiny balloon shaped like a football greeted customers at the register. Costello was slicing steak on the grill while Iannaconne handed out cheesesteaks wrapped in foil.

“Everyone OK with onions?” Iannaconne called out to a waiting group.

The couple’s 2-year-old daughter, EmmaRose, was with family on Monday, but she is normally in the shop with her parents.

“She’s a Mainer, but we’re going to raise her an Eagles fan,” Costello said.

Friends Kate Reilly, 44, and Mark Sandler, 46, bet a cheesesteak on the outcome of the game.

Reilly, wearing a green Eagles zip-up, met Sandler at the The 5 Spot on Monday to collect. He was in better spirits than the night before.

“She texted me at 11 p.m.,” he said, laughing. “I was not in the mood to respond.”

Sandler watched the game at home with his family.

“My son kept switching from his Gronk shirt to his Brady shirt when things weren’t going well,” he said. “Nothing worked.”

Reilly was thinking of her own family as she celebrated the win.

“My dad passed away a few years ago,” Reilly said. “This one’s for him.”

George Salevesky, 64, donned his green Eagles jacket and brought his fiancée to The 5 Spot for lunch. He owns his own plumbing and heating business, so he declared Monday a holiday from work. He beamed and surveyed the small crowd of fellow Eagles fans from his seat.

“It was their time,” he said. “I don’t care if (the Patriots) win the next two.”

Morgan Grumbach, 40, and his sister, Maddie Corcoran, 31, are Philadelphia natives living in Maine, but they didn’t watch the game together Sunday night.

“We were too anxious to do that,” Corcoran said.

Still, they went to The 5 Spot together to celebrate with a cheesesteak. Grumbach, who works as the sales manager for Portland’s sports-talk radio station, “The Big JAB,” reached into his coat pocket for a piece of paper with the image he will soon have tattooed on his shoulder – the Eagles logo with the Vince Lombardi trophy. He said he might travel to Philadelphia for the victory parade. For the moment, however, he was content to enjoy a cheesesteak and relive the glory.

“I’ll probably watch the game again tonight,” Grumbach said.

Megan Doyle can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

mdoyle@pressherald.com

Twitter: megan_e_doyle

Related Stories