David Letterman gets a goodbye from Hello Deli owner

Rupert Jee never sought out the spotlight, and when David Letterman thrust him into it, he never felt comfortable.

"It was frightening to me," saysthe owner of Hello Deli, who became a recurring character on Letterman's Late Show when it moved to CBS and the Ed Sullivan Theater.

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"I always found it a very nasty experience to be in front of the public. That's something I never wanted."

In the final week of the show, the deli has seen a big boost in visitors. Boxes of T-shirts and hats arrive every day, and Jee can't keep them on the shelves.

Over 22 years, Jee starred in numerous comedy bits with Letterman, including a popular segment where the talk show host would communicate to Jee through an earpiece and he would talk to unsuspecting people on the street.

Reflecting back on what made Letterman so popular, Jee says it was his unpredictability.

"I think he's just innovative, he's quick, you never know what he's going to say or do."

The Hello Deli is a popular spot for fans attending the show and has become a tourist attraction in its own right. Customers approach Jee as if he's an old friend.

"I never expected this;it's incredible what's happened to me over the last 22 years."

Jee had been operating the Hello Deli two years before Letterman arrived, after whichbusiness increased immediately by 25 per cent.

The menu includes sandwiches named after Letterman and some of his favourite guests.

The most popular sandwich is the Shaffer, named after Letterman's Canadian bandleader Paul Shaffer. It's a chicken cutlet with cheese, sweet peppers, lettuce, tomato and mayo. The Letterman has turkey, ham, sweet peppers, lettuce, tomato, mayo, oil and vinegar.

It won't be the same when the show ends Wednesday night, Jee says.

"It's very sad, you're not going to forget about 22 years of fun, so it's going to take a while to get used to this."