Welcome to Takeaway with Sam Okas, a podcast for leaders of growing restaurant companies looking to take their business to the next level.

In nearly two decades covering restaurants, I've gained access to some of this industry's most influential decision makers, and I'm letting you in on the conversations.

In today's episode, you'll hear from the president of a family-run breakfast chain about how it's

standing out in a crowded category and why sticking to the fundamentals of menu and service

are still paramount to breakfast and brunch consumers. Mike Stasco Jr. is the president of Sunny

Street Cafe, a 22-unit franchise based in Columbus, Ohio, that has experienced positive

traffic and sales comps, even while many of its competitors are struggling.

But it's not crazy menu innovation or tech bells and whistles that are driving this success.

Instead, Sunny Street has simply doubled down on a great service and great execution of its core menu items.

I sat down with Mike in a Columbus Sunny Street location to talk about the state of daytime dining

and why breakfast and brunch consumers in particular just want to go somewhere where everybody

knows their name. In this conversation, you will learn more about why executing on your core menu items

is the most important thing that you can do with your menu.

Why trying new things with your core menu is a great way to innovate,

and why meal occasions dictate how people eat and your menu should accommodate.

If you learn anything from this episode,

go follow takeaway wherever you're listening to podcasts and leave some feedback. It's the best way to get these lessons into the hands of fellow restaurant leaders. Jumping now into my interview

with Sunny Street Cafe President Mike Stasco, Jr. Also, don't forget to stick around after the

interview, as I will share my four takeaways

from this discussion, actionable insights that you can take with you on the go.

Mike Stasco, president of Sunny Street Cafe.

Thanks for joining me today.

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