Charles Crane/MDN Minot staple Magic City Hoagies opens its doors today at their new downtown location.

From the start, Christine Staley has had more in mind for her business than just being a sandwich shop. Staley and her husband Ben have taken Magic City Hoagies through the gauntlet all small businesses endure, and now have their sights set on growth. After eight years operating out of the original location just off the mall, they’ve officially opened the doors at its new location at 123 Main Street in downtown Minot. The new home is a shared space with Staley’s other venture Magic City Sweets, which serves ice cream by the scoop and other delicacies. Today is the grand opening for the dynamic duo that add even more light to a thriving downtown experience just in time for summer.

The Staleys came to Minot by way of Miami, and Staley was determined to bring as much of that magic city to our city as she could.

“This building was the first thing that spoke to me when I first moved here. It came to me in a dream. This is me being in Miami in my mind. This is my magic here,” Staley said. “We’ve gone through several changes throughout the years, and now that we’re downtown, I’m really excited because this is where it’s happening.”

While the building and its eclectic technicolor space may be different than locals remember it, customers should take comfort that the hoagies haven’t changed an iota.

“It’s all the same food. Nothing is changing,” Staley said. “The food is going to work for itself.”

The new space bursts with color and comfort with plenty of room to sit, eat, and hangout. Altogether it gives customers a little bit of everything. On top of the double whammy of sweet goodies and enormous sandwiches, there’s an indoor picnic setup that comes complete with green turf and sunshine right when you walk in, with an array of arcade cabinets waiting for you in the back.

While the curveballs of the COVID pandemic caused Staley to rethink and shift gears to evolve the business online, she credits a great deal of the business’s continued resilience to its staff and the community that has grown around and within it.

“Really good employees are hard to find. Right now, I have my A-Team,” Staley said. “My staff has been really sticking through thick and thin. They’ve seen how difficult it is to run a small business. I think listening to them and giving them everything they need; I think we’ve become a support system for each other. Without them, none of this would have happened.”

Delivering savory sandwiches and delicious treats is the easy part according to Staley, with consistency and exceptional customer service being the reason her regulars haven’t skipped a beat following her downtown. A notable member of Minot community for almost ten years, Staley hopes in its new location that her brands will continue to flourish along with the other members of Minot’s vibrant downtown.

“You have to invest in yourself, but you have to also invest in your community,” Staley said. “Being parked downtown now we’re ready to start bringing that. I’m happy to be downtown. It’s sad to see that chapter close, but that was a wonderful chapter, and I’m grateful for it.”