How This Sunny Street Café Franchisee Is Serving up His Community Fresh Stacks of Joy

Dr. Michael Schifano, a highly respected OB-GYN in Carbondale, Illinois, is no stranger to helping the community — both in his medical practice and at his Sunny Street Café franchise. In the seven years since opening his first location in Carbondale, Schifano has created a community hub where fresh, scratch-made meals and welcoming service keep guests coming back. Now, with his eyes set on opening a second Sunny Street Café in the nearby town of Marion, Schifano is ready to expand that sense of community with the hope of bringing even more joy to the local area.

A Unique Start in the Restaurant Industry

For Schifano, entering the restaurant industry was far from the usual path for a physician. "I am an OB-GYN, and we were building a new office," he said. "We needed enough tenants to get 50% of the strip mall full. We were one tenant shy, and I had a physician partner of mine who wanted to get into the restaurant business." Looking for a restaurant model that would allow them to be semi-absentee owners, Sunny Street Café stood out for its operational simplicity. With stores only open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for example, both franchisees and staff members can reap the lifestyle benefits that come along with the business. "With Sunny Street’s support, we thought it would be a good fit,” Schifano said. “Also, we would only need one general manager because there is only one shift every day.” The restaurant’s made-from-scratch approach and commitment to quality also resonated with Schifano, as did the flexibility the brand offers to its franchisees. “There’s opportunity when it comes to creating regional specials,” he says. “That’s the beauty of a smaller franchise. Their product really set them apart from other breakfast and lunch franchises — they have the feel of a community-centered, independent restaurant while still being a franchise."

A Recipe for Success

Since opening his Carbondale location in 2017, Schifano’s Sunny Street Café has become a local staple. "The business has been great, and the brand has continued to evolve," he said. One of the more recent developments? Acquiring a liquor license to further enhance the guest experience. “They are constantly looking to see what will work in a community like ours and helping us bring on ancillary revenues to support the business,” said Schifano. Schifano credits Sunny Street Café’s thorough training and franchisee support system with setting him up for success from the start. “They give you all the support from construction to equipment to design,” he said. “When it comes to opening, they send in people for training, marketing, operations, etc. They really had a good recipe for success right from the get-go.”

From First-Time Franchisee to Expansion

Seven years in, the restaurant is fully self-sustaining. Schifano’s general manager handles the day-to-day operations, freeing up the doctor to focus on his medical practice. But even with his busy schedule, Schifano remains passionate about his restaurant’s role in the community. "It’s been great to create this go-to place for the Carbondale community — we offer catering to schools in the area, and we’ve built a loyal customer base," he says. “We survived COVID, and now that the restaurant has been here for seven years, there are a lot of regulars and great name recognition.” Now, Schifano is preparing to replicate that success with a second location in Marion, just 20 miles from his first. “We’re taking all the lessons we’ve learned from the past few years — like how to lower ticket times and increase throughput — to make the new location even better,” he said. Schifano’s vision for the Marion location includes offering the same fresh, made-from-scratch meals, welcoming atmosphere and a strong commitment to community involvement. With plans to open next year, he’s excited to expand the Sunny Street Café experience and continue serving stacks of joy to new customers. Learn more about franchising with Sunny Street Café, here: https://1851franchise.com/sunnystreetcafe.

As seen originally in 1851 Franchise.