By Audra Mitter
So you’re driving around the beautiful rural Scottsdale area and your stomach starts to grumble. Man I’m hungry! Let’s find a place to eat!
Checking out Google Maps, you find a little hole-in-the-wall café called Pony Express. Pulling into the parking lot, you decide to give it a try.
A good portion of the guests that enter the Pony Express Café have either never been in before, or knew it when the previous owners were there. So when they come in and find a different atmosphere, they’re surprised to say the least. Of course, once they’ve ordered and tasted their food, they come to realize that the new owner is doing something right!
Originally from upstate New York, Michael owned five pizza shops and an Italian restaurant before moving to Arizona to take care of his mother. Living in Lake Havasu, he drove his mother back and forth from the hospital in Vegas until she passed away. He stayed in Lake Havasu for three years before finally moving out to Scottsdale.
Back in April of 2018, Mike bought the Pony Express Café. He and his son run the restaurant by themselves and do the best they can to network and put their names out in the world to drawn in business. With a full espresso bar, omelets, pancakes, and breakfast burritos on the menu, it’s no wonder that people make the Pony Express their new morning ritual.
When lunch rolls around, the quiet sound of music and chatter among the guests and the workers make a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Also depending on the crowd, breakfast is served until close, satisfying everyone’s tastes for the day.
As a small business owner, Mike tries his best to advertise his business at the local farmer’s markets by selling Kettle Corn that he hand pops himself in front of the store. Once customers try the wonderful kettle corn he makes, they make sure to stop into the café to try the rest of the menu.
At affordable prices, the menu offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, breakfast options, and wraps, but the most ordered items on that list are the Taco Salad, the Rueben, the Breakfast sandwich, and the Italian sandwich.
Made fresh every morning, the Taco Salad is made with ground beef and beans with a little of Mike’s special seasoning served hot on a bed of crisp romaine lettuce and surrounded by tortilla chips. It comes with a cup of sour cream and a cup of salsa on the side as well.
The Rueben is made as a classic Rueben. Made with corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing, Mike cooks it up on his flat top before serving it to hungry guests.
The Italian Sandwich is made with three different types of meat along with the choice of lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise, and mustard as fillers. Each sandwich on the lunch menu comes with homemade macaroni salad or a bag of chips that can be hand-picked by the register.
Last but not least, the Breakfast Sandwich is the most popular choice for breakfast- simply because it has so many different options and can be made to suit anyone’s tastes. Along with the choice of bread and meat, it also comes with the choice of fried egg or egg whites for a healthier alternative.
As business continues to grow, Mike hopes to add more to his menu and expand his small business so he may continue making his guests happy. This is why it’s important to support small businesses. So that people like Mike can continue to do what they love and provide a service to all those around them!
Support your local small business today!
