Mancino's to open new B.C. location this week

With the opening of a store this week in Battle Creek, a new era is on deck for Mancino's Pizza and Grinders.

Mancino's co-owners Dan and Kelly Frever will open up a new location Wednesday at 2171 W.Columbia Ave., the former home of Your Local Yarn Shop. The Marshall residents said they've had interest in the building since they purchased Mancino's from Kelly's mother, Sue Schnaitman, in 2005.

The move allows for the closing of existing Mancino's locations at 5285 Beckley Road, which shuttered its doors earlier this year, and at 1791 W. Columbia Ave., closing Monday.

"The biggest thing, we're excited — not just for us, but for our employees and our customers," Dan said. "Battle Creek has been a great support for us."

The new location features an expanded dining room and kitchen area, a space larger than both of the previous Mancino's restaurants. A new counter area lessens the congestion near the door — a problem at the old Columbia location. There's also new assets in the kitchen including an oven and a walk-in freezer; Dan said the menu could expand to feature deep-dish pizza and pasta, too.

He said Mancino's outgrew the space on Columbia, and the two weren't interested in renovating a space they didn't own. After making the "tough decision" to close the Beckley restaurant this year — one of the original Mancino's locations — he said the Columbia site absorbed all of its employees and many of its customers.

Mancino's will bring on all interested employees to the new location, and soon will look to hire a few more, he said.

"I'd put us up against any Mancino's and a lot of other pizza places or grinder shops," he said. "Our employees develop relationships with our customers — we had customers that came to our wedding. It really is, the support has been unbelievable."

Schnaitman brought Mancino's — a pizza and sandwich chain restaurant founded near St. Clair Shores — to the area in 1987. She purchased the restaurant from Joe and Sandra Mancino, the son and daughter-in-law of company founder Samuel Mancino. The restaurant now is in nine different states including nearly 50 cities in Michigan.

Kelly Frever said her mother still owns The Stagecoach Inn in Marshall, but no longer is involved in the day-to-day operations at Mancino's — though, she said, customers still ask about her. When the business hosts a soft-opening Wednesday, Kelly said it's safe to say her mother will make an appearance.

Of the opening, Dan and Kelly each expressed excitement to start a new chapter of the business, one that's been a staple in the area for close to three decades.

"We kind of look at it as a new beginning for us," Kelly said. "We have two young daughters and they're excited and they want to be here Wednesday with us."

"The biggest thing, we're hoping for another 30 years," Dan continued. "It might not be her and I every day for the 30, but we're hoping it's not just about us. It's a dream come true to own our own building, and not just rent a space to move in.

"We're very proud of this."

Contact Dillon Davis at 269-966-0698 or dwdavis@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DillonDavis.

If you go

Mancino's is open Sundays-Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays-Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. More information is available by contacting the store at 660-2277 or by visiting them online at bcmancinos.com.