PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Travelers passing through Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday may have expected long security lines. Organizers set a different kind of record: they lined up cheesesteaks, not passengers, for a Guinness World Record attempt tied to National Cheesesteak Day.
Organizers said Philadelphia achieved a new Guinness World Record for the longest line of cheesesteak sandwiches, with 1,291 lined up inside a departure hall to mark the holiday. The display, organizers said, far surpassed the previous benchmark of 500 sandwiches. Clarence LeJeune, who said he is associated with MarketPlace PHL, described the effort as a push for a historic-sized cheesesteak line.
“We went for the world record for the longest cheesesteak in history,” LeJeune said, adding, “Today we accomplished that goal here in Philadelphia.” Organizers and volunteers assembled the cheesesteaks in a walkway between Terminals B and C, filling rolls as people moved past storefronts. TSA workers were among those involved in distributing the food during the attempt and afterward, according to the reporting.
LeJeune said the cheesesteak’s flexibility is part of what makes the experience appealing, and he joked that there are “few hard rules” for cheesesteaks. He also said, “You don’t ask for Swiss cheese,” referencing a 2003 moment when John Kerry drew criticism in Philadelphia for ordering one with Swiss cheese.
Guinness World Records adjudicator Michael Empric said the record attempt followed Guinness rules. Empric said the rules require all food used in record attempts to be eaten or donated. In this case, Empric said the sandwiches would be sent to TSA agents “who definitely could use some lunch.”
After the record was certified, volunteers handed out the sandwiches to travelers, airport workers and TSA staff, the report said. The effort was also described as a boost for TSA personnel who were working without pay during the government shutdown. The event’s organizers and volunteers carried the cheesesteaks through the airport and later cheered as the results were announced on National Cheesesteak Day.