Before we even opened our doors back in January, a future customer wandered inside and asked "what is this place going to be?" We knew right then he would be a great advocate for us and take a vested interest in our business. Ron did not prove us wrong; every morning (and sometimes again in the afternoon) Ron comes in for food and conversation. He knows the names of most of our employees and all of our employees know his name, too. He is part of a group of regulars that meet every morning for breakfast. They pull tables together and make themselves at home, they even bring their own mugs -- we wouldn't have it any other way.
I asked Ron if we could interview him and this morning he willingly obliged. Here's a little more about one of our favorite regular customers:
Ron Parry has lived in Springfield since 1981. He is a true believer that "Springfield is Utopia." I've heard him say this many times - he truly loves his community. Ron is in the auto business, selling custom wheels and lug nuts for cars. He says his territory is the whole country, but he has worked from home for the past 30 years. Ron is married to a wonderful lady, Karen. They are both very involved in the Springfield Symphony Orchestra as part of the Symphony Guild. Ron says he loves all music, from classical to country to big band. He thinks our Springfield Symphony has something to offer for all music lovers.
At Neighbor's Mill Ron's favorite thing is any grilled sandwich. He believes our bread is the key to our delicious grilled sandwiches, and he particularly enjoys the French Dip and the Queen City. For breakfast he usually gets our peaches & cream brioche, when we bake it, or our Miller's Breakfast sandwich with sausage. And of course, a big cup of coffee in his yellow Mill mug.
I asked him what he likes about Neighbor's Mill and here's what he had to say: "Good food. Good bread - we buy loaves weekly to take home and we use them at home on sandwiches. The bread is so good. Also, the employees are genuinely friendly. They care about people; they try to learn your name."
Ron, thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement. We love having you as a regular and seeing your smiling face every day. We can set our clocks to your arrival each morning and it's one of our favorite things about being in this business - the many good folks you meet along the way. Thank you for the support, Ron!
-Lauren