Hard Times No Match for Yankee Bean

At the beginning of this month, Yankee Bean celebrated its sixth year in business. The family owned and operated business runs deeper than just a couple of folks trying to make ends meet. 

Almost a decade ago, Manuel and Jean Tsongranis decided to start their own business. They knew two things for certain: the business would be a sandwich shop and it would have the word "Yankee" in the name.

Manuel, 51, grew up in Tarpon Springs and worked for his father's electrical business. The storefront was located in the same building where Yankee Bean now resides. The name of the business? Yankee Electric. 

Being from up north, the Tsongranises were dubbed a clan of "Yankees" by locals. Manuel's family took the nickname and ran with it.

When Manuel and Jean started brainstorming about their new adventure, they spent two years fixing up the facility and perfecting the menu. 

After opening in late 2006, Jean, 48, said that the economy was good for a while. But with the national economic struggles on their heels, she said it was inevitable that their business be affected.

"We thought we would take off quicker," Jean said. "But because of the hard times, we are just now starting to pick up."

Jean said that they owe the uphill trend to the consistency and quality of their selections. How do they do it? Using Boar's Head meats and cheeses combined with homemade everything is a good start. 

Everything is made from scratch and the recipes are "Yankee-fied" by Jean because of her extensive background in hospitality.

Soups, salads and sandwiches are the staples at Yankee Bean, but the potato salad is an added bonus to most plates.

For Jean, the day-to-day socializing with locals makes her job even more enjoyable. 

"We always joke that we're like 'Cheers,' where everybody knows your name," she said.

Manuel couldn't be happier with the success of the shop or the nostalgic location that takes him back to his childhood.

"It's a good feeling and it brings back a lot of memories," Manuel said. 

The duo's only thoughts about the future are that they wish to keep it simple. With no expansion plans in mind, Jean and Manuel said that they are satisfied being a local legacy. 

Success is knocking at the Yankee Bean door on a daily basis, but Manuel said that today's results came from overcoming a long string of obstacles.

He mentioned the failing economy shortly after the store's opening, which was followed by a road alteration in front of Yankee Bean that made it difficult for people to park. 

"I kind of felt like everything was against us," Manuel said. "But we persevered and here we are."

More information on Yankee Bean:

Address- 901 S. Pinellas Ave.

Phone- 727-938-7799

Hours- Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.