By Craig Anderson

DOVER — First, it was 100 subs on Friday. Then, 100 more Saturday. Finally, on Sunday, an additional 300.

All 500 sandwiches, made by The Little Grocer, were delivered to Dover Air Force Base and consumed by pilots and crew members of the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds demonstration teams that highlighted the Thunder Over Dover aerial show.

The city of Dover enlisted both The Little Grocer and La Baguette Bakery & Catering to fill a combined order of approximately $2,500-$3,000 over the weekend.

La Baguette provided 100 boxes of lunch, which each included a sandwich, a bottle of water, a bag of chips and a cookie.

The assist came after Kay Sass, Dover’s emergency management coordinator, asked city officials how Blue Angels and Thunderbirds pilots would be taken care of. As the groups are part of the federal government, no donations can be solicited.

“I questioned planners because it’s a big deal to have the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds here, and they were going to stay for multiple days,” she said. “They said, ‘Oh, well, we’re hoping some organizations step up.”

Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen liked the idea, Ms. Sass said, so city leaders and Thunder Over Dover planners determined that food and drink were needed. So they set a plan.
The city then reached out to the would-be order takers.

“Just being asked was kind of exciting, kind of crazy,” said Adam Stachecki, who operates the family-owned Little Grocer with his father, Todd, and brother, Matt.

“We don’t get a lot of big orders. We do catering but nothing like this. It kind of blows all of the rest of it away.”

A self-described “Air Force brat,” who co-owns La Baguette with her husband, Ludovic Bezy, Anita Wheeler-Bezy said, “We were honored to work closely with Dover Air Force Base and are huge supporters of the military. It just makes us feel really great to be a part of something like this.”

Adam said food preparation required every staff member to contribute in some way. The subs had to be ready for pickup at 7 a.m. Friday, then again at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
And afterward, “We didn’t hear anything. I was actually kind of disappointed. I thought we would have heard something from somebody. I know they had a busy weekend, though.

“I heard some of them were flying out (Sunday night) to their next destination. So that probably had a lot to do with it, with everything they had going on.”

And placing the order nearby was part of the city’s plan.

“Well, we wanted to stay local and utilize local vendors,” Ms. Sass said. “And they were both great to work with.”

And as for The Little Grocer, she said, “They just went above and beyond in their effort. I wanted them individually wrapped, so the pilots and the people could grab and go — they did that. They did a fantastic job.”

Of La Baguette, Ms. Sass said, “It was great to help out an organization that does great things for other organizations in our community.”

Assisting small businesses in Dover was “absolutely” part of the package, she added.

“Particularly coming out of COVID, they could all use that little income boost,” she said. “And who better to give it to than our locals.”

The food and beverage funds came from the city’s economic development reserves, Ms. Sass said, adding that Sam’s Club provided 960 bottles of water and 400 pounds of ice at no cost Saturday.

While the economic impact on The Little Grocer and La Baguette was clear, the air show’s overall influence couldn’t be measured in numbers. According to Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce president Dr. Dina Vendetti, though, the returns were fruitful.

“While we do not specifically track this, it is obvious that there is a positive economic impact in our area when a crowd of any size gathers here,” she said.

“I know that, on Saturday, the number of people was estimated at 40,000. I believe it was a little less on Sunday.”

While CDCC wasn’t involved in an official capacity, Dr. Vendetti said, “We did some publicity for the show, and several members of the team and board attended the show. There were also several CDCC members who sponsored the event.

“In addition, some of our team members are honorary commanders or honorary commander alumni and were present in that capacity to support the efforts of the base. One team member also volunteered at the event.”

Regarding the importance of out-of-state attendees, Dr. Vendetti said, “Any time visitors come to central Delaware and have a great experience here, we win. They make a memorable connection with our area and tend to return time and time again. Of course, when they do, they impact our local economy.

“In addition, they spread the word about what a wonderful place Kent County is to visit.”

Dr. Vendetti continued, “The air show was a wonderful success in so many ways. We love supporting our base and its personnel — (436th Airlift Wing Commander) Col. (Matthew) Husemann described this event as the base’s way to give back to the community.

“He called it their way to say a giant thank-you. That gesture touched the hearts of so many. It gave attendees a ‘behind-the-curtain’ look at some of the operations of DAFB — and certainly reminded us all why we are so proud to be part of Team Dover.”

DAFB spokesman Master Sgt. Chuck Broadway said Monday that there was no information yet available on Thunder Over Dover’s economic impact.

“I’m sure it will be several weeks before the official numbers come down from hotels, restaurants, etc.,” he said.