Go Here, Not There: The Sunshine Cafe in Limerick!

Go Here, Not There is a tool. Use it to get the best deals on goods while supporting local, independently owned businesses. As American consumers, we were born to believe the better deal equates to les dollars, but other factors matter just as much: the quality of the product, the fit between the product and the consumer, and an expert staff trained to understand the importance of both. Go Here, Not There and get your money’s worth while protecting the fabric of our neighborhoods and local businesses.

by Alex Liney

Breakfast is literally defined as “breaking the fast”; feeding yourself after eight hours of sleep induced starvation. The word has developed and changed over time to represent a standard group of foods: bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes. In fact, one of the most popular meals for elementary school students is “Breakfast for Lunch.” Breakfast has a more significant meaning, though; it is considered the most important meal of the day as it prepares the human body for the daily tasks that lie ahead.

Sometimes, a homemade breakfast just doesn’t cut it; take it from someone whose breakfast repertoire includes cold cereal or burnt toast. There are so many diners and cafes in the area that you could go to, but one stands out above all. Sunshine Café located on 207 West Ridge Pike in Limerick may be right next to one of the busiest roads in town, but don’t assume it’s just a run-of-the-mill roadside breakfast joint.

The building is around 50 years old, and about 20 years ago Sunshine Café made it its proud new home. Jaime Coulston is currently the owner and manager, after working under the original owners for ten years. Her help with menu changes and her home-grown prowess for running a family business has turned the Sunshine Café completely around in the past decade. It is now a very popular stop for both families looking for a nice atmosphere to bring children or anyone looking for a decent meal - and decent is definitely an understatement.

During your stay at the Café, you won’t feel like any less than family. The atmosphere is described by Coulston as “Cheers without the beer,” and nothing could be more true. Nine, yes nine, members of Coulston’s family work at the Sunshine Café. It’s a place where even if it’s your first time there, you feel as if everybody really does know your name. The Café does not play into gimmicks, or clichés. It is the mom and pop diner that some kids today might only read about or see in old movies. 

The service just reinforces the feeling of home in the Café. The servers are friendly, joking around with children, making every single customer feel welcome and invited. That’s not something you can teach in a corporate think-tank, it’s just the way it’s done in the Sunshine Café. I didn’t see one frowning face at a single table during my meal. Everyone was happy, smiling, and they were all local. The community comes in flocks to Sunshine Café, not only for the family atmosphere. 

I ate breakfast at the Café. It was 9:30 in the morning and it was already into the breakfast rush. I got a simple meal: eggs, toast and home-fries. When I ate, I felt like there was something wrong. Food this good should not cost $3.50. After a double take of the menu, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that this was true. It was magnified by the fact that larger chain restaurants known for breakfast, such as Denny’s, will be raising prices three to five percent in 2012. So while the corporate chains are fattening their wallets while shrinking their customers’, home-grown diners like Sunshine Café stick with a recipe that works: great food, fair prices.

The combination of high quality food and fair pricing left no doubt in my mind that Sunshine Café is the diner to go to in Limerick. As a matter of fact, you won’t find anything on the menu that costs more than $10.50, which is more than can be said about other diners in the area. Even better, the Café is open for dinner on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays: no more late night bacon cravings! Go Here Not There, and get a great deal more than a great deal!

Neighborhood Corkboard is a grass-roots, advocacy organization dedicated to fighting for local mom and pop shops. Join the good fight. Go to www.neighborhood-corkboard.com and select your local Corkboard, or go directly to SF Corkboard at www.sf-corkboard.com. LIKE us on Facebook, FOLLOW us on Twitter. To enroll your business, email towntweeter@neighborhood-corkboard.com.