{"id":858750,"date":"2025-06-28T22:12:33","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T03:12:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/28\/sunny-street-cafe-breaks-ground-on-first-freestanding-location\/"},"modified":"2025-06-28T22:12:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T03:12:33","slug":"sunny-street-cafe-breaks-ground-on-first-freestanding-location","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/28\/sunny-street-cafe-breaks-ground-on-first-freestanding-location\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 Breaks Ground on First Freestanding Location"},"content":{"rendered":"<article id=\"post-215907\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\">\n<div id=\"tps_slideContainer_215907\" itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sunny-Street-Cafe-Breaks-Ground-on-First-Freestanding-Location.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 Breaks Ground on First Freestanding Location\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sunny-Street-Cafe-Breaks-Ground-on-First-Freestanding-Location.jpg\" alt=\"Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 Breaks Ground on First Freestanding Location\" width=\"722\" height=\"542\"  ><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Franchisee Dr. Michael Schifano expands footprint and portfolio with second caf\u00e9 in the Prairie State<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Sunny Street Caf\u00e9\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sunny-Street-Cafe-Breaks-Ground-on-First-Freestanding-Location.gif\" alt=\"Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 Breaks Ground on First Freestanding Location\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\">Marion, IL\u00a0 (<a title=\"RestaurantNews.com\" href=\"http:\/\/www.RestaurantNews.com\" data-rich-text-format-boundary=\"true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><u>RestaurantNews.com<\/u><\/a>)\u00a0 <a title=\"Sunny Street Caf\u00e9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sunnystreetcafe.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><strong><u>Sunny Street Caf\u00e9<\/u><\/strong><\/a>, the beloved concept known for its made-from-scratch breakfast classics and lunch comfort food, has officially broken ground on its newest location at 909 Roth Halfway Road in Marion, Illinois. The new restaurant is the brand\u2019s first-ever freestanding location, marking a major milestone in Sunny Street\u2019s strategic growth.<\/p>\n<p>The Marion restaurant will be the 23rd location systemwide and the second in Illinois, expanding Sunny Street\u2019s footprint in the state and showcasing its momentum in mid-sized markets. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Tuesday, April 29, to celebrate the new build and recognize franchisee Dr. Michael Schifano, who also owns the Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 in nearby Carbondale.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Schifano has seen tremendous success since opening his first location in 2017, quickly becoming a local staple. His decision to open a second caf\u00e9 in Marion was driven by both the strength of the brand and his passion for serving guests quality, made-from-scratch meals.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sunny-Street-Cafe-Breaks-Ground-on-First-Freestanding-Location-2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 Breaks Ground on First Freestanding Location\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sunny-Street-Cafe-Breaks-Ground-on-First-Freestanding-Location-2.jpg\" alt=\"Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 Breaks Ground on First Freestanding Location\" width=\"722\" height=\"481\"  ><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cFranchisees like Dr. Schifano represent what Sunny Street is all about \u2013 people who are passionate about good food, strong community ties and creating welcoming spaces,\u201d said Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 President Mike Stasko. \u201cOpening our first free-standing restaurant is a huge step for our brand, and we couldn\u2019t ask for a better partner to bring it to life in Marion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A practicing OB-GYN, Dr. Schifano was drawn to Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 for its streamlined operating model and manageable hours. With a single 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. shift and one general manager leading the team, the concept offers a flexible lifestyle for entrepreneurs looking to balance business ownership with other passions or professions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve seen firsthand how well the Sunny Street model works,\u201d said Dr. Schifano. \u201cThe support from Mike and the team, the brand recognition and the ability to truly connect with our local guests have made this an exciting and rewarding journey. I can\u2019t wait to bring our delicious pancakes to the Marion community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 continues to attract both multi-unit operators and first-time franchisees in new and existing markets across the U.S., offering a compelling franchise opportunity centered around daytime-only hours, a tasty menu of scratch-made favorites and the feel of a neighborhood eatery. The Marion location is expected to open later this year.<\/p>\n<p>For more information about Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 and franchising opportunities, visit <a title=\"OwnASunnyStreet.com\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ownasunnystreet.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><strong><u>OwnASunnyStreet.com<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 Breaks Ground on First Freestanding Location\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sunny-Street-Cafe-Breaks-Ground-on-First-Freestanding-Location-3.jpg\" alt=\"Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 Breaks Ground on First Freestanding Location\" width=\"722\" height=\"600\"  ><\/p>\n<p><strong>About Sunny Street Caf\u00e9<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sunny Street Caf\u00e9\u00ae is a family-owned breakfast and lunch concept committed to serving up made-from-scratch pancakes, classic comfort dishes and genuine hospitality. Founded in 2007 and based in Columbus, Ohio, the brand operates and franchises more than 20 locations across Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Alabama and Texas. Designed to feel like a welcoming neighborhood gathering place where everyone is family, each caf\u00e9 serves as a bright spot for breakfast and lunch. For more information, visit <a title=\"SunnyStreetCafe.com\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sunnystreetcafe.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><strong><u>SunnyStreetCafe.com<\/u><\/strong><\/a> or follow Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 on <a title=\"Facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sunnystreetcafe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><strong><u>Facebook<\/u><\/strong><\/a> or <a title=\"Instagram\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sunnystreetcafe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><strong><u>Instagram<\/u><\/strong><\/a>. To learn more about franchising opportunities, visit <a title=\"OwnASunnyStreet.com\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ownasunnystreet.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><strong><u>OwnASunnyStreet.com<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Contact:<\/strong><br \/>Tiffany Martinez<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/championmgt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><u>Champion<\/u><\/a><br \/>817-919-6261<br \/><span \n                data-original-string='LJrtOjXvRTqD5W+8oKJk4g==7f4fH9NcMAnwTDnV1tQa57ZnHZf1V3kS\/dSVQ3E9IxKAgw='\n                class='apbct-email-encoder'\n                title='This contact has been encoded by Anti-Spam by CleanTalk. Click to decode. To finish the decoding make sure that JavaScript is enabled in your browser.'>tm<span class=\"apbct-blur\">*******<\/span>@<span class=\"apbct-blur\">*********<\/span>gt.com<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantnews.com\/sunny-street-cafe-breaks-ground-on-first-freestanding-location-052725\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Franchisee Dr. Michael Schifano expands footprint and portfolio with second caf\u00e9 in the Prairie State Marion, IL\u00a0 ( RestaurantNews.com )\u00a0 Sunny Street Caf\u00e9 , the beloved concept known for its made-from-scratch breakfast classics and lunch comfort food, has officially broken ground on its newest location at 909 Roth Halfway Road in Marion, Illinois. The new<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":858751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[180,1018],"tags":[5570,11592],"class_list":{"0":"post-858750","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-street","8":"category-sunny","9":"tag-street","10":"tag-sunny"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=858750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=858750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=858750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}