When Mackenzie Peters looks around Steph’s Subs, every inch of the place feels like a memory. Christmas Eve dinners, bridal showers, and family losses all included subs from Steph’s. Her first job was behind that very counter, where she learned how to slice deli meat and wrap up a sub.

“It’s been a part of my life forever,” Peters stated. “I grew up on these subs; my family always had them for everything.”

It’s more than nostalgia that keeps her here now. Six months after Steph’s passing, Mackenzie and her husband have stepped behind the counter to keep the shop alive, not out of business ambition, but out of love. 

The Woman Who Started It All

Stephanie Severn, the original owner of Steph’s Subs, had an impact that reached far beyond sandwiches. Steph wasn’t just a woman behind a counter of a local sandwich shop; she was the heartbeat of Bloomsburg. 

“She wasn’t a mom of little humans, she had dog children, but she always had that motherly instinct,” Peters said. “She naturally wanted everyone to succeed. She loved you like a mom.”

“But she always had this motherly instinct with everybody. She naturally just wanted you to succeed. She loved you like a mom.” Walking into Steph’s Subs, it was clear you weren’t just a customer, you were treated like family.

Her warmth extended far beyond the shop. Steph was a force in the community, sitting on local boards, supporting fundraisers, and making sure the town never lost its spark. Peters remembered one year when the downtown Christmas tree was in jeopardy. 

“Steph immediately said, ‘No, you have to have Christmas. I’ll figure it out,’” Peters reminisced. That determination, paired with generosity, became the measure of her life. Peters even described her as “the fairy godmother of Bloomsburg.”

On Steph’s first heavenly birthday, Peters, her husband, and the staff filled the shop with everything Steph loved. “She loved pink, she loved flamingos. So this whole place was pinked out, and we did free cupcakes,” Peters said, smiling. “It was amazing, all of her friends came and shared memories.”

Since then, they’ve kept a memory board on the wall, covered with notes, photos, and stories from friends, family, and community members who want to honor her.

It was Steph’s devotion to the people of Bloomsburg, not just her sandwiches, that inspired Peters and her husband to step in and continue what Steph built.

A Legacy to Protect

For Peters, taking over Steph’s Subs was never about making a name for herself; it was about preserving one.

“I worked here in high school, and two of my siblings worked here too,” she said. “We always knew Steph, and we loved her. When the shop went up for sale, we wanted to make sure the next owners kept the community supported, like she did.”

Running the shop hasn’t been without its challenges. Mackenzie described the delicate balance of honoring Steph’s legacy while also putting their own stamp on the business. 

Much of that trust comes from the attention to detail Mackenzie and her husband have brought to every sandwich and every interaction. 

“The food has been here with the same recipes for 65 years,” Mackenzie said. “People want it to taste the same, and we’ve gotten a lot of compliments because it does.” Beyond the food, they’ve updated the systems, like switching to digital time clocks and a new POS system, while keeping the heart of Steph’s intact. 

The Moments That Make Steph’s

Preserving a legacy isn’t just about recipes or routines. It thrives in the moments that unfold within the shop every day. Peters said the best reminders of why they stepped into this role come from the people who walk through the door.

She remembers a new father who came in practically bursting with excitement after leaving the hospital. “He was like, ‘I need a whole turkey sub right now — we’re celebrating!’” Peters said, laughing. “It’s little things like that. You realize this place is tied into people’s lives.”

Other stories come quietly. A woman who leaves a note on the memory board every time she visits. Alumni who haven’t been to Bloomsburg in twenty years but walk in and immediately order “their usual.”

“There’s always noise in here,” she said. “There’s always something going on.” Running Steph’s means early mornings, long days, and constant multitasking, but it also means standing at the center of a community that continues to show up. 

Peters said giving back has always been part of the job. “If there’s an event going on, we try to donate, we try to be there,” she said. “That’s just what Steph always did.”

​​Between the laughter at the counter, the notes on the memory board, and the familiar hum of the ovens, Steph’s Subs continues to be more than a sandwich shop. It’s a gathering place, a family, and a living legacy. And for Peters and her husband, every day behind the counter is a reminder of why they’re here: to keep the tradition alive, one sub at a time.

“People tell me all the time, ‘I grew up on these subs,’” Peters said. “And I get it because I did too.”