Fat Sam's Sub Station is expected to remain open despite Salman Shatara's passing. Photo by Sarah FaulknerSarah Faulkner - Editor-in-Chief
editor@insideuab.com
Local deli owner Mr. Salman “Fat Sam” Shatara passed away Wednesday night at UAB Hospital from a blood clot related to injuries that he sustained in an automobile accident on April 8.
After opening Fat Sam’s Sub Station in March of 1990 just down the road from UAB’s campus, Fat Sam became a member of the UAB community and displayed a variety of UAB-related memorabilia in his deli. Fat Sam’s Sub Station website is decorated with UAB colors and states that the restaurant has been serving UAB for over 25 years and is UAB’s “best local sandwich shop.” According to his eldest son Mitri in an AL.com article, Fat Sam will be buried with a UAB T-shirt.
Members of the UAB community have responded to Ivana Hrynkiw, Mitri Shatara’s girlfriend who posted about Fat Sam’s eventual passing on the closed Facebook group “Save UAB Football, with comments expressing their feelings towards the news of the deli owner’s death.
“So sad! I ate at the Sub Station before it became Fat Sam’s and knew Sam from day one!” John Moody, UAB alum, said in his comment on the post. “My daughters attended school with his sons. A part of the #UABFamily has moved on to eternity. I'll miss the exchange of latest Blazer information with Sam. My thoughts and prayers to the family during this sad time. 1) when we went over to eat at Fat Sam's with my new UAB Freshman daughter, he told her if she ever had any problems and couldn't get in touch with her parents to come to him and he would take care of her; 2) Sam told me when the football program was shut down some of those big UAB Blazer linemen came to him almost in tears. He just gave them a hug because that was all he could do at the moment. He will be sorely missed by #UABFamily.”
Fat Sam was 55 at the time of his passing. Currently, Fat Sam’s restaurant is open and will have regular hours.
Story updates are to follow. Mr. Shatara's funeral is to be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 23 at St. George Melkite Greek Catholic Church with burial to follow at Southern Heritage Cemetery.
