BRYAN, Texas — When Steven Kapchinskie's father, Albin Kapchinskie, developed throat cancer in the late 1970s, he knew it was time to take over his family's business.
He was fresh out of high school, but he knew he had to keep his family's legacy alive.
"He threw me the keys and said, 'Take over.' Here I was 18 years old and had a business," Kapchinskie said.
He is the third generation to take ownership of Martin's Place, a nearly 100-year-old restaurant, and it's doors are still open.
His grandfather, Martin Kapchinskie, started the business in 1925, but many residents like Mike Sutherland have seen many businesses come and go in Bryan-College Station over the years.
Sutherland, originally from Louisiana, moved to Bryan 40 years ago.
He was in the military and working in the city when his friends first brought him to the restaurant.
Since then, Martin's Place has remained a stable place for he and his friends to gather at least once every month.
He said the business is an icon.
"It’s not many businesses that last past five, much less 100 years, so it’s a wonderful thing for them and the community because it’s one of the original businesses here in town," Sutherland said.
City of Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez said in a statement that the community has always supported the city's "entrepreneurial spirit" for over 150 years, and it's upon what the city was founded.
"It is an eclectic city that includes a very diverse business community and provides a business-friendly environment," Gutierrez said. "We appreciate and celebrate the businesses like Martin's BBQ with 100 years of service to our community."
City of Bryan Public Information Officer Lacey Lively says factors like being located near Texas A&M University, a growing population and even services offered from the city make the it business-friendly.
But the Kapchinskie's have had their share of struggles in the business.
"Of course, my grandfather went through the depression. He owned most of this block at one time, but he sold it off to keep the business going, so that was one struggle," Kapchinskie said.
He, himself, struggled getting customers in after ongoing road construction in 2017, had to shut down indoor dining during the pandemic and said he recently lost about 70% of sales because of a downed phone line since most orders are to-go.
But he encourages other businesses who want to last as long as his family's business has to do what his family did — persevere.
"You got to get in there and hang in there, have the will to work and succeed and eventually if you stay at it, it’ll work out for you," Kapchinskie said.
For new business owners, the City of Bryan offers guides to opening a business, grants for its historic downtown spaces, estimated costs for opening a business and even provides information on where and how to obtain small business loans.
The Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce also offers networking and advertising opportunities and information about the community and business climate for its members.