Editor’s note: This story is sponsored content and part of the Think Local ad campaign.
On March 29, National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, EatStreet will celebrate with a day of free delivery from all locally-owned restaurants.
EatStreet, a food ordering and delivery service, can be used to order online or through the mobile app. The company will partner with local Manhattan restaurants to bring the comfort of mom-and-pop shops to people’s doorsteps.
Locally-operated businesses cultivate essential commerce in Manhattan and can help create a sense of community for its residents. Shopping locally has become increasingly important amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
One local restaurant which claims to encapsulate the heart of Manhattan is Paramour Coffee. Located at 2005 Clocktower Pl., the family-owned coffee roasting company has made and served coffee for 25 years. It works to supply quality, affordable coffee to the cities of Manhattan and Wamego.
“We strive for excellence,” owner Jim Hovind said. “I would rather have a great cup of coffee than make a dollar. Every time I taste, I look for the best coffee on the table.”
Jim Hovind said he received training from Alfred Peet, a coffee-making legend, in the 1960s and ’70s. Starting out as a chauffeur for Peet’s business partner, Sal Bonavita, Hovind soon found himself at tastings and coffee-roasting sessions.
Hovind said he quickly gained a knack for making coffee and worked hard to continue Peet’s legacy. Hovind still carries the advice from Peet and Bonavita into the creation of every new blend.
“I came from the grandfather and godfather of all coffee,” Hovind said. “He opened stores. I would drive him and he would meditate and decide what he was doing for each store.”
Paramour Coffee specializes in gourmet coffee which can be purchased in-store, wholesale or via EatStreet. Hovind said he hopes to expand and branch out to new locations in the future.
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Along with Hovind, many other local business owners contribute their talents to the city of Manhattan.
Subs-N-Such, for example, opened its doors in 1980, and the owners said the workers still treat customers like family. The company recently moved to 1816 Claflin Rd., after partnering with Dara’s Corner Market. The owners, Darrin and Paula Frey, bought the shop in 1992 and work alongside their daughter.
“The community has been great as we’ve raised her,” Paula Frey said. “They’ve taken care of her when we’re busy. They’ve taught her how to make food with us and take orders, and she feels like she has the whole community watching over her. That’s been really great because most of our customers really feel like family.”
Frey then touched on how she and her husband came to own the sub shop.
“I worked here while I was in college, and I stuck around for a year after I graduated,” Frey said. “While I was doing that, my boss had a heart attack, so he and his wife needed to step away from the business. He offered to sell it to me. We thought we’d stay for five years to pay off the business, but by the time five years had gone by we were married, having a kid and we ended up staying because we liked it here.”
Besides sandwiches, the shop serves breakfast, hot dishes and salads. The company also provides catering for events. Its most popular menu item is the Kitchen Sink, and it lives up to its name.
The people behind these restaurants, like many others around Manhattan, work hard to ensure that customers feel at home whether they walk through the door or get it delivered.
Community members can help EatStreet in giving back to Manhattan’s mom-and-pop shops by purchasing an order free of delivery charge on March 29.
