Sunny Street in FSR: Our President on Why We’re Beating the Odds
Sunny Street comps and traffic have both been up despite a challenging year, and Summer 2026 boasted a record week in sales. In a recent FSR Magazine interview, our Sunny Street Café President Mike Stasko Jr. dives into the “why” behind this growth-surge, along with two new (and very different) franchise store openings. Here are the highlights from our side of the table:
The value of breakfast and hospitality
Sunny Street is well-positioned in terms of value. In a challenging economy, breakfast remains one of the few affordable meals folks can enjoy eating out. To keep the breakfast concept fresh, we rotate three seasonal LTO menus each year. We never lose our traditional breakfast options. But we do push the boundaries with a few out-of-the-box concoctions. Mike mentions another area they’re actively improving in, which also has a significant impact on success and growth: “Focus-wise, we’re tripling down on hospitality, because we’re full service and we have to make sure the experience is top notch. We’re taking another step in our training process and making sure our employees are taken care of. That’s our secret weapon.”The tools behind the scenes
Mike talked about what's making a difference behind the scenes: connecting our inventory management and accounting systems, and making sure our managers know how to use them. The result is tighter control over costs and waste, and managers who feel like they own the business. As Mike put it, you only get out of your tools what you put in, and it's taken years to get to a rhythm that works.Bigger where it fits, leaner where it counts
The New Marion Sunny Street Café: The most exciting news is our first freestanding café [Opening Soon!] in Marion, Illinois. “Everybody’s looking forward to lower build-out costs, but the free-standing is a unique opportunity.” It's a larger prototype with an extended patio, garage doors, a drive-thru pickup window, and an expanded beverage program. The New Zionsville Sunny Street Café: On the other hand, our Indianapolis café has moved into a second-generation space, which can mean lower build-out costs. Having both options lets us fit different markets and different owners.A franchise built for multi-unit owners
Many of our franchisees own more than one café, and the Marion location is the second for its owner. We're growing deliberately in markets where we've already built awareness, including Columbus, St. Louis, southern Illinois, and Texas. Our corporate team owns about half of our cafés, so we have skin in the game alongside our franchise partners. From the tech we implement to the cost-of-goods, corporate feels the impact of every decision.What this means for prospective owners
Behind the headlines is a model designed for owners who want a clear business with a more balanced schedule:- Breakfast-and-lunch hours. Typically closed by 2:30PM. No late nights.
- Two ways to bring in revenue. Catering sits alongside your dine-in business, giving you more than one way to serve your community.
- A clear story. We’re The Fancy Pancake Place. It’s a clear story –– based on one of our best-selling items –– that sticks.
- A proven playbook. Our corporate team provides a plug-and-play model to help you open quickly and have as smooth a transition as possible.
- Flexible formats. From second-generation spaces to our new freestanding prototype, there's an option for different markets and budgets.
Curious about owning a Sunny Street?
If you'd like to explore whether Sunny Street Café is the right fit for you or your family, we'd love to talk. You can contact our franchise team or to download our Franchise Brochure below.READY TO
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