MINNEAPOLIS — It's usually all business at the Minneapolis city hall. Its gray marble walls dimly lit by fluorescent lighting makes for a serious mood. People shuffle by, busy, with business as usual.
That mood is relatively universal until you get to The Chewery, a sandwich shop tucked underneath City Hall. There, you can find the now famous "Number One" breakfast sandwich. It has been the best seller since City Pages wrote a rave review about it.
"I wasn't expecting it to go like this," co-owner Lori James said. "I was expecting to sell sandwiches, I didn't expect it to blow up like this."
That sandwich, in all its eggy, cheesy, pecan-bacon, maple spread goodness has been selling like hot cakes.
"The price is great, the sandwich is good, I think it's unique," said one diner.
James said she didn't come from a culinary background prior to starting the sandwich shop.
"I never did, it's my daughter that did it all," James said. "It's her recipes, she's the cook. She does everything. Without her and the rest of the family, I wouldn't be here."
"That's what it is, I do the cooking and she does the networking," co-owner and James' daughter Aqueelah Hysten said. "People love her and people love my food."
Hysten said she loves to cook and feed others. After figuring out her recipes - especially the maple spread - she knew, she had to put it on her menu.
Together, Hysten and James bring a little bit of sunshine to the City Hall bureaucracy.
"When I first walked through, I was telling my friend who is a mail carrier in here," James explained. "That it was kind of stoic. So I thought gosh, it's quiet. To where now - I'm the big happy mouth around here. I go down and shoot the breeze with the Minneapolis police, the Sheriffs, the City Council and the Mayor!"
Lori will greet you by name the second time you visit her. She often also brings two strangers together.
"Some people have worked here for 32 years and they've never met each other until they came to the Chewery," she said. "I don't care who they are and sometimes because I'm kind of forgetful, I'll introduce them three to four times and they'll be like 'Lori, I already know her!'"
The duo says the secret is in the maple spread recipe. However, what makes the Number One the best seller at City Hall is probably the side of kindness and camaraderie served with it.
"Thank you so much sweetheart," James greets. "You have a blessed day. Don't work too hard okay? Thank you!"
The Chewery is located in Minneapolis City Hall, one floor down. It does not have Facebook or Twitter. They're usually open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.