Chef was supposed to be working at the World Trade Center on 9/11. A last-minute decision to fix his glasses before work saved his life
Michael Lomonaco stayed in NY and continued as a chef to honor the colleagues he lost on 9/11
Sometimes the smallest decisions can make a huge difference in our lives. Don't agree? Then meet Michael Lomonaco, an executive chef at Windows on the Wall, a restaurant in the North Tower of the World Trade Center (WTC). On September 11, 2001, he was on his way to work when he decided to stop by an optometrist. He had an appointment at 12:15 p.m., but wondered if he could get an early consultation. It was 8:15 a.m. when Lomonaco walked in, and exactly 31 minutes later, "The building shook. Then someone came into the exam room and said, 'We got to get out,' he told PEOPLE on September 6, 2026.
The close escape
Lomonaco thought it would be a normal Tuesday at work. He stepped into an optometrist's office before heading to the restaurant to get his reading glasses fixed. While he was still in the exam chair, the first plane struck the North Tower building. When he got out, he saw the plane's fuselage and smoke pouring from the tower. All he could think of were his colleagues on the 106th and 107th floors, hosting breakfast for over 100 people. A few minutes later, the other plane crashed into the WTC. He told the outlet, "That brought me to tears. It was an incredible shock, a terrible, tragic thing to witness. I mean, I was in tears."
Reunion with wife
Lomonaco saw a few people waving tablecloths from the windows of the smoking building. That was when the South Tower collapsed. He was stunned, then heard the police telling people to run. He headed straight to the building where his wife was working and thankfully spotted her exiting the door. "We were reunited at that moment. We were very lucky. We were reunited as though we thought we would never see each other again. We both felt that way," Lomonaco said. While the couple made their way to their apartment, they saw the North Tower collapse.
A genuine kindness
Days after the tragedy, Lomonaco found out that 79 of his colleagues from Windows on the Wall did not make it. "There’s a deep sadness. It feels bottomless," he had told the outlet back in 2001. A few weeks later, he and a few other friends in the restaurant industry decided to do something for the victims' families. Meanwhile, Lomonaco and his friends co-founded the "Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund." Their first fundraiser was called "Dine Out." Restaurants from all over the world were invited to give 10% or more of their proceeds on October 11, 2001. Over the years, they've managed to raise almost $25 million to help the children of the employees who perished with their health care, education, and rent.
Honoring late friends
Lomonaco received countless job offers from friends all over the country, but he chose to stay in New York. His reason? "I felt from the very beginning that staying here and working in New York was how I honor and pay tribute to my friends and colleagues who I lost on that day." In May 2026, Lomonaco opened Brasserie Cognac Américain and said, "Even now, opening a new restaurant, part of it is really to do this in honor and in memory of my friends, of my colleagues."
'Being late can be a blessing'
Meanwhile, 25 years later, people are still mourning the loss and tragedy of 9/11. @just_cade wrote, "Still heartbreaking, it always will be." @coltonlongmire1426 shared, "I was on floor 53 of the South Tower. We were told to stay put. Our boss told us, and I quote, 'We won’t get jack sh*t done today. Just go home.' We did. The plane hit the tower while I was in the lobby along with coworkers."
More on Scoop Upworthy
Writer digs up receipt issued 9 minutes after 9/11 attack — and it might be the final sale that day
Share on Facebook
