R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press Swedish Pantry owners Josh and Brittany Hoogerhyde hand out eggs to representatives of local businesses while Todd Beauchamp of Michigan Broadband Services (MBS) passes out business cards. The event — and the eggs — were funded by MBS.

ESCANABA — On Wednesday, downtown businesses were invited to attend a breakfast at Swedish Pantry. The get-together was sponsored by Michigan Broadband Services (MBS) and organized in coordination with the Downtown Development Authority (DDA).

The event served to introduce neighbors in the Escanaba DDA district – which includes both sides of Ludington Street from Lincoln Road to the waterfront — to one another and particularly to the new owners of the Swedish Pantry, Josh and Brittany Hoogerhyde.

“There’s no meeting,” said MBS sales rep Todd Beauchamp to the table of 12 after greeting people as they arrived. The broadband company footed the bill, “just so people can have a nice breakfast. …We just want everyone to know who everybody is, because downtown has a lot of resources that are collected,” Beauchamp said.

Before serving Swedish pancakes to the guests, Josh and Brittany met and thanked the attendees.

“It’s really great to … have a chance to meet all of our neighbors,” Josh said. “We’re planning on carrying on the tradition that’s been in this town for almost 50 years. We’re gonna continue the same food and great service and neat atmosphere … It’s kind of unique and whimsical, and people seem to enjoy it. We’re looking forward to hopefully creating meaningful relationships with you guys.”

They’re likely to have more opportunities to do so; this social breakfast was the first of a series of events that MBS and the DDA would like to organize once a month as part of a program called “Welcome to the Downtown.”

MBS serves a number of clients in downtown Escanaba and is aiming to make connections with other potential customers, both commercial and residential.

An additional feature of Wednesday’s breakfast was the distribution of cartons of eggs. Each guest was given a dozen eggs, and one carton contained a “golden” egg – it was brown – that earned the recipient a prize. Kim Rabitoy from Escanaba Radio Group found the special egg, which led her to walking away with a $50 gift certificate to Swedish Pantry.