Sweet Peppers Deli got a little sweeter, celebrating 25 years in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Sweet Peppers Deli is getting a little bit sweeter.

The restaurant business is notoriously fickle. Tastes and trends change, but in Columbus, a deli has become an institution.

For a quarter of a century, Sweet Pepper’s Deli has been a go-to for many in Columbus and the surrounding area.

Whether it’s Friday night with your friends or Sunday after church with the family, the restaurant continues to be a local favorite.

The crew says that having the best customers is what keeps them going.

Whether they’re enjoying a classic club sandwich or the newest special, one thing that’s stayed consistent for the past quarter century at Sweet Peppers Deli is the loyalty of its customers.

“That just says a lot about this community and without them, we would not have been here for 25 years. We’re really thankful for our customers and the people that work with us,” said Aaron Sanders, General Manager at Sweet Peppers Deli.

Sanders has worked with the Eat With Us group for 20 years.

For the past 11 years, he’s been the manager at Sweet Peppers.

He owes that longevity to a few things.

“The work environment. The owners. We’re a locally owned restaurant so they really know how to treat their people. So they go above and beyond to treat their people and they go above and beyond to make sure we’re taken care of, ” said Sanders.

Mattie Williams has been part of the Peppers team almost since the beginning.

She’s seen a lot of people come through the doors and the kitchen. It’s one of the things that keeps her coming back.

“Well because it’s a great place to work and you meet a lot of different new people and faces. I enjoy working with the young people. They’re fun and make you laugh. They make the time and day go by fast,” said Williams.

Sanders is part of that local flavor, growing up in the community has helped him stay connected to what his regulars expect.

“I’m from Columbus so it just puts a different spin on it knowing that we’re a local restaurant and we can serve the locals here and give them a good quality product that they can come back and get consistently,” said Sanders.

A silver anniversary deserves a celebration and a makeover.

Peppers will be getting a new look starting October 31st.

“We’re going to redo our whole entire kitchen and in the front of the house, we’re going to mix it up a little bit. We’re going to have some booths. Just replace some things, tables, and chairs. Stuff like that,” said Sanders.

The restaurant will be closed for about 4 weeks, but Sanders says even though they may have a new look, one thing that won’t change is Sweet Pepper’s dedication to quality and service.

During their closing period, employees will have the opportunity to work at any of their sister stores.

The whole team is excited to show off the new look.

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