PHILADELPHIA (AP) \u2014 Travelers passing through Philadelphia International Airport on Monday may have expected long security lines. But the longest line was made of cheesesteaks.<\/p>\n
Organizers say they achieved a new Guinness World Record for the longest line of cheesesteak sandwiches, with 1,291 lined up inside a departure hall to mark National Cheesesteak Day. The display far surpassed the previous benchmark of 500 sandwiches.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went for the world record for the longest cheesesteak in history,\u201d said Clarence LeJeune of MarketPlace PHL, a company that operates airport concessions. \u201cToday we accomplished that goal here in Philadelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cheesesteak, which originated in Philadelphia in the early 1900s, is widely considered the city\u2019s signature food. LeJeune called it \u201csynonymous\u201d with Philadelphia, alongside its sports culture.<\/p>\n
People in black aprons assembled cheesesteaks along tables set up in the walkway between Terminals B and C, filling rolls from silver buckets as they moved past storefronts.<\/p>\n
After the record was certified, volunteers handed out the sandwiches to travelers, airport workers and Transportation Security Administration staff, who have been working without pay<\/a> during the government shutdown.<\/p>\n