Number 397 October 9, 2026 St. Louis
Behind every pink ribbon is a person, a family, and a community.
This October, Justine PETERSEN recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the people whose lives have been touched by breast cancer. We stand with those receiving treatment, survivors, caregivers, and families remembering someone they love.
We also recognize that a diagnosis can bring concerns that reach beyond medical care. Work, household bills, and everyday responsibilities continue, even when life changes unexpectedly. Everyone deserves compassion, dignity, and support as they navigate those challenges.
At Justine PETERSEN, our work centers on helping people build greater stability and opportunity. That commitment starts with seeing the whole person and remembering that we each carry experiences others may never see.
This month, let’s turn awareness into care. Check in on someone. Offer a meal or a ride. Listen without expecting them to have the right words. Keep showing up after the first conversation.
To everyone affected by breast cancer: You matter. Your experience matters. And you deserve a community that makes room for you, wherever you are in your journey.
Standing together. Supporting our community.
Keeping Collinsville Rockin’ and Rollin’: Shane Giger and The Sandwich Shop
For more than five decades, The Sandwich Shop has been at the heart of Collinsville, Illinois, and part of its history. Today, owner Shane Giger is working to keep the music playing, the food coming, and a beloved local tradition alive for years to come.
Step into The Sandwich Shop in Collinsville, Illinois, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The music, retro décor, and cherished recipes—passed down for generations—create a 1950s-themed diner that’s hard to find these days: a place where history, delicious food, and community all come together.
For 51 years, The Sandwich Shop has been a fixture in Collinsville’s historic district. When Shane Giger took ownership seven years ago, he inherited more than a restaurant. He became the caretaker of a local tradition that had already been serving the community for 44 years.
And Shane, as anyone who knows him might expect, brought a little extra personality to the place.
Before becoming a restaurant owner, Shane worked in broadcasting and made a name for himself as a DJ known as “Sugar Shane.” With his appreciation for music, entertainment, and bringing people together, taking ownership of a retro diner seemed like a natural fit. Even the candy bars at the front counter feel like a fitting tribute to his old DJ days.
But behind the nostalgic atmosphere and lively personality is a small business owner who understands just how difficult it can be to keep a restaurant operating.
A Local Favorite with a History Worth Preserving
The Sandwich Shop has earned its place in Collinsville through decades of serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its familiar menu, including recipes passed down through previous ownership and its distinctive horseradish sauce, has helped make the restaurant a local favorite.
For Shane, preserving those traditions is important. So is recognizing that even a business with more than half a century of history must continue to evolve.
Times change. Customer expectations change. And the cost of keeping a restaurant running certainly changes.
Like many restaurant owners, Shane has faced the growing pressure of rising food prices, operating expenses, and the cost of goods. He points to tariffs as another burden affecting small businesses, with consequences that reach far beyond the restaurant industry.
These challenges eventually became more than a matter of adjusting menu prices or watching expenses. They threatened the future of the restaurant itself.
For Shane, the stakes were personal. He wasn’t simply trying to save a business. He was working to protect his livelihood, his home, and the future of a place that had become part of his life.
There came a point when Shane believed his journey as the owner of The Sandwich Shop might be coming to an end.
Fortunately, that wasn’t where the story ended.
Finding More Than a Lender
Shane’s relationship with Justine PETERSEN started when he needed financing.
A couple of years earlier, during the process of purchasing the building, he had met Aida Richardson, Chief Lending Officer at Justine PETERSEN. That connection would eventually become an important part of his business journey.
Amid the financial pressures of the restaurant, Shane remembered that relationship and turned to Justine PETERSEN.
He was looking for an opportunity to keep his business alive, preserve the recipes and traditions entrusted to him, and hopefully return The Sandwich Shop to the thriving restaurant he remembered when he first took ownership.
What he found was an organization willing to listen, understand his circumstances, and recognize the value of keeping a longstanding small business in the community.
Instead of another closed door, Shane found an opportunity to move forward.
Through financing from Justine PETERSEN, Shane was able to bridge an important financial gap, helping him maintain the restaurant while protecting the stability of his household.
The financing will also support essential business needs, including payroll and his plans to obtain a liquor license. These steps are part of Shane’s larger vision for keeping The Sandwich Shop relevant, competitive, and prepared for its next chapter.
For a business that has spent more than five decades serving Collinsville, the opportunity to keep moving forward means everything.
More Than Sandwiches, More Than a Restaurant
The Sandwich Shop’s importance extends well beyond its menu.
The business has been recognized with a local small business award, reflecting its place in the community and the work Shane and his partners do to support others.
Through relationships with community partners such as Billy Allen, Shane has helped support toy drives, local festivals, and donation efforts that bring people together and extend assistance to those who need it.
That community involvement reflects something important about Shane’s approach to business.
He understands that a restaurant can be more than a place to eat. It can be a gathering place, a familiar face, and a business that gives back to the community that has supported it for generations.
And while The Sandwich Shop’s future requires thoughtful changes, Shane has no intention of losing the character that makes it special.
The music, the décor, the recipes, and the people are all part of what makes The Sandwich Shop, well, The Sandwich Shop.
A Second Chance to Keep the Music Playing
When asked what he would tell another small business owner facing similar financial challenges, Shane’s response was clear: reach out to Justine PETERSEN.
For him, the experience was about more than securing a loan. It was about finding people who genuinely cared whether his business succeeded and who approached his circumstances with understanding rather than judgment.
Shane believes Justine PETERSEN offers something very different from the predatory lending experiences that many small business owners fear. He found a financial partner interested in helping him build a more sustainable future.
His story is also a reminder that even established businesses need support. A restaurant can have decades of history, loyal customers, and a respected place in its community and still face financial challenges that threaten its future.
Sometimes, the difference between closing the doors and opening them for another day is having the right partner willing to see what is possible.
Today, Shane is looking ahead, focused on keeping The Sandwich Shop moving forward while honoring everything that has made it special for 51 years.
And perhaps that is the most fitting way to describe the next chapter of The Sandwich Shop: the recipes remain, the music plays on, and “Sugar Shane” still has a few more records to spin.
At the end of our conversation, Shane was asked whether there was anything else he wanted people to know.
After sharing the challenges, the uncertainty, and the opportunity to continue doing what he loves, his answer was simple.
“Thank you, JP.”
Sometimes, three words say more than an entire story ever could.
Fair Housing Tip: Credit Challenges Do Not End the Journey
Fair housing means everyone deserves an equal opportunity to pursue homeownership. While lenders may review credit history, income, debt, and employment, they cannot apply different standards because of someone’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or family status.
Late payments, high credit card balances, collections, student loan issues, limited credit history, or a high debt-to-income ratio can create barriers. However, these challenges do not have to end your path forward.
Justine PETERSEN’s HUD-approved housing counselors can help you review your credit report, build a budget, address debt, strengthen your credit profile, and prepare for the homebuying process. This personalized counseling is available at no cost.
Call 314-533-2411 or apply for Housing Counseling to begin your path toward homeownership.
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