{"id":140284,"date":"2026-03-17T04:28:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T04:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/140284\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T04:28:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T04:28:12","slug":"making-the-experience-better-popular-lehigh-valley-eatery-to-open-nearby-sister-location-eat-sip-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/140284\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Making the experience better\u2019: Popular Lehigh Valley eatery to open nearby sister location | Eat, Sip, Shop"},"content":{"rendered":"

WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – A much-loved, family-run business is expanding operations in Lehigh County.<\/p>\n

The owners of SMP Mini Mart, a popular business that is part fast-casual eatery and part convenience store at 1341 Mickley Road in Whitehall Township, have purchased a property across the street at 1050 Schadt Ave. to open a SMP sister location.<\/p>\n

\"SMP\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SMP Mini Mart operates\u00a0at 1341 Mickley Road in Whitehall Township.<\/p>\n

Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n

Husband and wife owners Chad and Nancy Sankari are still ironing out exact plans for the new spot, but the general game plan is to have one location offer an improved sit-down dining experience and the other one handle take-out and delivery orders, Chad said.<\/p>\n

The goal is to reduce wait times and enhance the customer\u2019s overall experience, Chad said.<\/p>\n

In November, the Sankaris purchased the Schadt Avenue property, which previously housed Soccer Post, a soccer specialty store.<\/p>\n

The couple hopes to open the SMP sister location in mid- to late summer, following renovations at the Schadt Avenue property over the next few months, Chad said.<\/p>\n

\"soccer<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SMP Mini Mart is planning to open a sister location at 1050 Schadt Ave. in Whitehall Township. The location was previously home to a soccer specialty store, Soccer Post.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re making the experience better for our customers \u2013 for both sit-down customers and customers who are picking up orders,\u201d Chad said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this time, we\u2019re undecided how we\u2019re going to move forward. Our thoughts are that maybe one location will be for pick-up and delivery orders, while the other location will offer a better experience for sitting down and eating.\u201d<\/p>\n

SMP Mini Mart, known for its cheesesteaks, chopped cheese sandwiches, house-breaded chicken cutlet sandwiches and other freshly prepared handhelds, opened in November 2022.<\/p>\n

\"smp<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SMP Mini Mart<\/p>\n

The popular spot is an outgrowth of the Sankaris\u2019 more than decade-old wholesale business, SMP Wholesale, which distributes items to nearly 60 Lehigh Valley area gas stations and convenience stores.<\/p>\n

SMP is named after the first letter of each of the couple\u2019s three children – Sarina, Milana and Pierre.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea for this mini mart and eatery originated because we already had the product,\u201d Nancy previously told 69 News.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we thought, \u2018Since we already have the product, why don\u2019t we have our own store?\u2019 We\u2019re both also really into food and decided that adding really good sandwiches to the mix would complete the concept.\u201d<\/p>\n

Initially, SMP Mini Mart offered primarily cold hoagies and sandwiches, along with a few hot breakfast sandwiches.<\/p>\n

A few weeks after opening, however, a customer\u2019s cheesesteak request led to the Sankaris bringing in a grill and expanding the menu to include more hot selections.<\/p>\n

\"SMP<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SMP Mini Mart<\/p>\n

The eatery\u2019s menu has continued to grow over the years, and the Sankaris installed another grill in 2024 to accommodate the increasing orders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re so grateful for everybody\u2019s support,\u201d Nancy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started this, we didn\u2019t expect it to turn into what it is today. The menu that we have today is about a year in the making, as we\u2019ve continued to add more items month after month.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sankaris label the \u201cSMP\u201d cheesesteak (featuring onions and a mix of wiz and Cooper cheeses) as the business\u2019 top seller, with the chopped cheese sandwich (hamburger, American cheese, sauteed onions, green peppers, special seasoning, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayonnaise) coming in a close second.<\/p>\n

\"SMP<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SMP Mini Mart<\/p>\n

A variety of beef and chicken cheesesteaks are available, including specialty varieties such as Buffalo ranch chicken, Western BBQ bacon chicken and Boom Boom chicken (chicken, onions, jalapenos, pepper jack, Boom Boom sauce, lettuce and tomato).<\/p>\n

Customers also can enjoy other specialties such as a gyro and garlicky chicken parm sandwich, along with hoagies \u2013 made with sliced-to-order meats \u2013 such as grilled chicken, Italian and turkey and cheese.<\/p>\n

Other menu highlights include traditional and boneless wings, hot dogs, burgers, sliders\/bowls and breakfast sandwiches (available all day) on your choice of croissant, Kaiser roll or bagel (everything, plain or sesame).<\/p>\n

Hoagies, cheesesteaks and sandwiches are available in 8- and 12-inch sizes, with rolls being delivered fresh each morning from Corropolese Italian Bakery & Deli in Montgomery County. Special sandwiches are also regularly featured.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever rolls we don\u2019t use at the end of the night, we donate to local food banks,\u201d Chad said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also donate gift cards to local fundraisers and charities. We enjoy giving back to the community because this is our home. I grew up in North Catty, and she grew up in Whitehall. So, we want to help our neighbors and friends as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SMP\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SMP Mini Mart operates\u00a0at 1341 Mickley Road in Whitehall Township.<\/p>\n

Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n

Chad describes SMP Mini Mart as a \u201cNew York-style eatery,\u201d with tables situated next to retail displays and an open kitchen where staff can interact with customers.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Eagles jerseys and decor are displayed indoors, and additional seating is available at outdoor picnic tables.<\/p>\n

The business carries a wide array of snacks, like candy bars, cookies, chips and pretzels, along with chilled beverages, household necessities and various convenience items.<\/p>\n

\"SMP\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SMP Mini Mart operates\u00a0at 1341 Mickley Road in Whitehall Township.<\/p>\n

Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n

Plans are still being finalized for SMP\u2019s sister location, but its menu will most likely mirror the one offered at the original location, Chad said.<\/p>\n

More precise plans for the new location will be announced on the business\u2019 Facebook page<\/a> soon, Chad said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still not really sure what we\u2019re doing there just yet,\u201d Chad said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe opportunity came up, knocked on our door and we took it. I think by doing what we\u2019re doing there, we\u2019re trying to give back to our customer base that\u2019s been awesome to us since day one. We\u2019re excited to always serve the customers and see their smiling faces. That\u2019s what means the most to us. Seeing the customers happy, hearing the positive feedback and interacting with the customers means more to us than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SMP<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

SMP Mini Mart owners Chad and Nancy Sankari pose in front of their new food trailer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n

SMP also offers catering, including appetizer, pasta, salad and sandwich trays, and a SMP food trailer makes appearances at local fairs, festivals and other public events and is also available to rent for private functions such as weddings, birthday parties and graduation celebrations.<\/p>\n

For the latest updates, follow the business\u2019 Facebook page<\/a>. Info: 610-443-3002.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – A much-loved, family-run business is expanding operations in Lehigh County. The owners of SMP…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":140285,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154,64328,9233,64329,977,433,157,64331,64330,64332,1654],"class_list":["post-140284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-chad-sankari","tag-cheesesteak","tag-chopped-cheese","tag-food-and-dining","tag-lehigh-county","tag-lehigh-valley","tag-nancy-sankari","tag-schadt-avenue","tag-smp-mini-mart","tag-whitehall-township"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140284"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140284\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}