By Courtney Rabideau (Contact / Staff Bio)
August 16, 2008 - 12:00 a.m. EST

CARO ‹ On July 1 of this summer, Tom Brown took the reins from the longtime owner of Samuel Mancino’s, Betty Bensinger, and began making the restaurant his own.

Now, six weeks later, the restaurant is in the process of undergoing changes to add more life and local feel to its ambience.

Brown, a Pigeon native and current resident, is no rookie to the business. He helped open the Samuel Mancino’s in Bad Axe in 1995 and then bought it in 2004.

“Since childhood, I’ve wanted to own a business. After I started working in Bad Axe, I just followed the natural work progression and eventually took over,” he said.

Now, he’s taken the Caro branch under his leadership.

In both places, it’s the day-to-day customers and events that Brown is drawn to.

“I have great people working in both stores,” he said. “I love dealing with people, the regulars I’ve come to see daily and the new faces who walk through the doors, too. I especially like dealing with schools and the various sports teams that eat here.”

Brown has big plans for the Caro store. Wall decor and color have already been altered.

“I also want to bring another aspect of the Bad Axe store to Caro, the Wall of Fame displaying local teams who sit down to eat here.”

In the past, Bad Axe teams have even given jerseys to Brown to hang in the restaurant.

“That’s exactly what I want, a more local feel,” he added. “When people come to eat here, they don’t want to look on the wall and see pictures of people they don’t know. They want pictures of people they recognize, people in the community.”

Brown also hopes to eventually implement a pizza and pasta bar in the business, as well as continue to make the service faster to all customers.

“Juggling the managerial skills in both restaurants is certainly challenging at times, but it’s worth it,” he added.

Besides running both stores, Brown is also hard at work on the re-election campaign of his brother, Terry Brown. Brown, a Democrat, is the State Representative from the 84th District.

“We were raised very family-oriented, so supporting Terry is natural,” said Tom.

To celebrate Brown’s new ownership and Mancino’s new look, register to win a DVD player and other prizes at the restaurant from Aug. 18-31.

Courtney Rabideau is a summer intern for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at rabideau@tcadvertiser.com