#162 Sunny Street Cafe: Chris McBride - Small Town Big Business Podcast
Jennifer Olson welcome guest host Allison Hassler and guest Chris McBride to discuss Sunny Street Cafe’s new second Southern Illinois location in Marion, Illinois. McBride explains the Marion cafe will be the brand’s first standalone building, featuring a pickup window, patio with roll-up glass doors, and a possible private event room, while offering breakfast, brunch, lunch, and likely mimosas and bloody marys. He outlines Sunny Street’s structure (about 25 locations split between corporate and franchise), notes the Marion site’s strategic placement near hotels, the interstate, Pilot, and Cornerstone traffic, and shares plans to hire about two months before opening and train staff in Carbondale. McBride also discusses kitchen operations, workforce changes, leadership and motivation, hiring qualities, and catering options from pickup to full-service events.