Tasty Transition

The before-school routine for young Brian Emrich, growing up in Sarasota, was one part tiring, one part unique slice of Americana.

Emrich would tag along with his grandparents, Levi and Amanda Yoder, to help open the family-run restaurant business, Yoder's. They left the house at 2 a.m. Levi Yoder did prep work in the kitchen, while Amanda Yoder baked pies nearby. Young Emrich slept on a cot in an office until 6 a.m. Then he ate breakfast at the counter with customers, many of whom were friends with the Yoders. Levi Yoder drove his grandson to school by 7:30 a.m.

More than three decades later, Emrich, 38, continues to hit the counter at Yoder's. Only now he's a manager, one of a dozen family members through three generations to currently work or have worked for the operation in some capacity. Says Emrich: “This is something that's always been a part of me.”