Sunny Street Café Breaks Ground on New Marion Location

MARION — A new breakfast and lunch destination is on its way to Marion, with Sunny Street Café officially breaking ground at 909 Roth Halfway Road.

The site will house the restaurant’s first-ever freestanding building — a notable milestone for the growing chain.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held last month, marking the beginning of construction for what will be the 23rd Sunny Street Café nationwide and just the second in Illinois.

Franchisee Dr. Michael Schifano, who also owns the Carbondale location, is spearheading the project.

Schifano, a practicing OB-GYN, said his experience running the Carbondale café since 2017 gave him the confidence to expand his business.

“I’ve seen firsthand how well the Sunny Street model works,” Schifano said.

Schifano said the support from company leadership, strong brand recognition and the chance to build meaningful relationships with local guests have made the franchise experience both exciting and rewarding.

“I can’t wait to bring our delicious pancakes to the Marion community,” he said.

Sunny Street Café President Mike Stasko attended the ceremony and praised Schifano’s dedication to the brand and his community.

“Franchisees like Dr. Schifano represent what Sunny Street is all about — people who are passionate about good food, strong community ties and creating welcoming spaces,” Stasko said.

Stasko said the opening of the company’s first freestanding restaurant marks a major step forward for the brand and praised Dr. Michael Schifano as the ideal partner to lead the project in Marion.

According to the company, Sunny Street Café offers a menu of scratch-made breakfasts, a relaxed atmosphere and daytime-only hours — features it says appeal to franchisees looking to balance business ownership with other careers or responsibilities.

The new Marion café will follow the company’s standard schedule of 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with the restaurant expected to open later this year.


Originally published in The Southern Illinoisan