When Shawn and Barbara Smith opened EAT!@Banning and 5th in 2012, they started with the goal of bringing good food to the community. “We saw the need for more gourmet things in the area,” says Shawn, the culinary genius behind the delicious treats at EAT! Since then, the restaurant and kitchen store combination has been a hit, combining fresh ingredients with quality service. What the Smiths never expected was how much the community would give back to them.
Last November, EAT! started a remodel. The three-month process involved moving the kitchen store, expanding the dining room space, and purchasing the area between the store and the restaurant to connect the two. But the Smiths didn’t have to do this alone. “Someone just showed up with painting equipment and started painting,” says Shawn. “A couple came in on the last day of the dining room [remodel] and helped clean up. Our customers are fantastic.”
Now that the space has been finished, customers can expect some exciting changes at EAT!, including the restaurant being open more evenings, as well as many more offerings in the kitchen store. “I really want to bring in more bakery products” for people to take home, says Shawn. “We want you to eat at the restaurant and we want you to eat at home, and we want to help both times.”
