Newcomers Take A Walk on the Sunnyside (Garden, That Is)

Carold and Matt Yancy at Sunnyside Garden Center's May 4th Open House

New owners Carold and Matt Yancy at Sunnyside Garden Center’s May 4th Open House (Photo: Ed Seiz)

By MIKE and LINDA MEE
Special to the Cape Charles Wave

May 14, 2013

When longtime owner Bo Lewis put Sunnyside Garden Center up for sale last year, no one knew what might become of it.

But thousands of motorists on Highway 13 saw the FOR SALE sign, and it wasn’t long before wheels began turning in the minds of a couple from Philadelphia.

Matt and Carold Yancy had been vacationing on the Eastern Shore for years, and long ago fell in love with the fishing, farmland, and friendly folks in the area.

That led to the purchase of a weekend home, with weekdays still in the city.

That all changed when Carold, who is originally from Haiti, retired after more than 20 years at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

The Yancys took the next step and made a permanent move to Cape Charles.

Matt realized that, much as he loved to fish, he needed more to do. And that’s when they noticed the FOR SALE sign.

The transition was seamless, with former owners Lewis and his wife frequently on the scene.

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Although Sunnyside changed hands last June, the Carolds waited until this May for their first open house.

As two of Cape Charles’ newest entrepreneurs, Carold and Matt are enjoying making improvements to the garden center, where Matt is putting his building trade skills to good use.

Sunnyside offers “just about everything for your growing, gardening and weeding needs,” the Yancys say. That includes perennial and seasonal plants, as well as seedlings, bulbs, birdseed, and mulch by the truckload.

The new owners appreciate the encouragement and support they have received from the community, and urge everyone to “take a walk on the Sunnyside.”

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Comments

3 Responses to “Newcomers Take A Walk on the Sunnyside (Garden, That Is)”

  1. Linda Connor on May 14th, 2013 5:48 am

    A charming and hardworking couple and I like to think that we were among their very first customers last year! Best wishes for their success.

  2. Bruce Lindeman on May 14th, 2013 7:08 am

    We’ve been big fans of Appleseed thorugh the years but decided to buy our mulch from Sunnyside in the fall last year. Mr. Yancy couldn’t have been nicer and the price fairer. I’ll continue to support their business and I hope everyone else does as well. There’s enough between these two retailers to go around, I believe. Supporting good people running a meaningful business on the Shore is win win in my book! Good luck to you!

  3. Roger L. Munz on May 17th, 2013 2:52 pm

    Irene and I have stopped there several times and always enjoyed their selection of products. RLM