| Taylor Family 2017 | Decatur IL |

I’m so excited to share another favorite SJP family with you guys today! Sticking with the Christmas week family theme it’s time for the Taylor family’s moment in the spotlight on the blog. I’ve had the chance to work with this family a couple times over the past few years for family or kiddo portraits mostly during our Limited Edition events.

This year we did a full session to spend a bit more time creating a variety of looks for them. Not only did we need some family portraits but this talented lady earned this fun Jeep this year with her company so we wanted to show it off too. So we featured the Jeep in a few family portraits as well as a promo image of her and her hubs! They even got One Sure Insurance to cover their van for them, it was such a perfect day!

Lastly, while we were at it Danielle needed a headshot for some promotions as well so we went ahead and knocked out that project too! I mean when you do the work to get all perfectly put together and get the whole family out and the car shined up we might as well do it all right?!!?

Here are their favorite images from this year’s session!

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Elm Street Grill | Small Business Feature

The Details: Terry Kaufman, Owner of Elm Street Grill |   In Business: 4 Years

Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:00am-1:00am  |  Location: 113 E. Elm St. Argenta, IL  |  Phone: 217.795.2295  |  Email: elmstreetargenta@gmail.com

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Tell us about your business…

For a great lunch with family, friends and co-workers, or a night out, stop by the Elm Street Grill for delicious appetizers, sandwiches, salads and daily/weekly specials. We are conveniently located off of Route 48. Great food made with fresh, quality ingredients at reasonable prices, friendly service, and a fun yet relaxed atmosphere are what we are all about. Perfect for a quiet lunch or dinner, meeting with friends, or having a celebration. Set in a historical 1887 structure, so you can enjoy the ambiance of high tin ceilings, beautiful hardwood floors, and the original 1887 facade. We have tables and booths, or feel free to sit outside on the patio or at the bar. We offer weekly specials, and carryout is available.

What did you do?

I bought a bar to turn into a restaurant. I wanted to provide the service in the town I grew up in.

What makes your business unique/special?

We brought a restaurant and bar back to Argenta, when there hadn’t been one for a while. And we’ve even started doing delivery following the limits from the dimensional weight calculator, now that we offer pizza.

What item on your menu do you just LOVE and think everyone needs?

I’m a fan of the buffalo chicken wrap. We started doing fresh pizza – we do the dough, the sauce ourselves, and use all fresh ingredients. Our meat combo and our buffalo pizza are really popular.

In what way have you gone above/beyond in the past for a customer?

We use the term “guest,” because we like everyone to feel welcome, to give them a warm feeling when they come in. We’ve done a couple benefits for the son of a friend who’s going through some tough times. We almost raised $18,000 to send this kid to Panama to get stem cell treatment. Those benefits, it’s nice to see the community come together. That’s as rewarding if not more rewarding to see the looks on their faces and know you’ve touched them.

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What is the coolest thing you’ve ever had a client do for you? 

The attendance when we have events, to see the people support, just because it’s you. The simple fact of getting a compliment and knowing they mean it.

What tool/equipment/or other vendor could you not imagine doing business without? 

I’ve got some really good people working for me. I’ve got some people overworked because it’s so hard to find good people. My girlfriend, Heather Staffer, manages the bar for me when she can. My staff is my best tool.

What other local business do you just LOVE? Why?

My local food suppliers – that’s what makes it happen. MJ Kellner Food Service is a family-owned food distribution company. Hoelting Produce, they’re people who make it very easy to go to work every day. Skeff Distributing and Budweiser are another big part of the operation.

I love that some of our other favorite small businesses like Skeff are working together to make the whole small business community amazing around here! Check out our feature of Skeff Distributing HERE.

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Tell us about YOU

I was working as a server at Texas Roadhouse working for Dave Hess and taking some classes. I loved it. I was approached by him to do management. I worked there 10 years, then for my good friend Todd Mason at The Beach House for four years. Then I ran Lincoln Lounge for about a year. I bought the bar after that. 

WHY did you choose to do what you do? 

Food is so vital; it’s connects to a lot of people. From the single mom or dad to the older widowed grandmother or the older man who can’t cook. It’s cool to provide a service for the village I grew up in – not only are they customers but I know them. That’s where it’s rewarding for me. 

When did you know you wanted to go into this business? 

From the time I started working at Roadhouse – I liked doing the service side right from the start.

What are you passionate about outside of your business?

I’m passionate about being a good father, boyfriend and son. My parents live on a good amount of land. My son is a freshman in college and I need to be around to lend a hand and knowledge to him. And if we can sneak away to a ballgame or to get to a Challenger level in our video game, all the better.

elm street grill, decatur il, small business feature, food, drinks, resturant in decatur, sjp, sarah jane, small business feature, commercial photography, business photos

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Describe your PERFECT day… 

I’d wake up, have some breakfast, jump in the car and go to Jamaica or somewhere like that.

elm street grill, decatur il, small business feature, food, drinks, resturant in decatur, sjp, sarah jane, small business feature, commercial photography, business photos

See the latest news at:

https://www.facebook.com/Elm-Street-Grill-702373443110552/

See our other past small business features to connect with more businesses in our area:

See more on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @sjanephotog, Instagram @sjanephotograhy, and Snapchat @sjanephotog

If you’d like to have YOUR small business featured for FREE on the SJP blog (or know a small business we should feature) you can find details HERE! These features are 100% free and we’d love to feature you next.

| Commercial Headshots | Updated Look for your Business and Brand | Decatur IL |

When you’re looking to revamp your corporate image we can help and our business headshot sessions are a bit unlike our other SJP portrait experiences!

Modern studio portraits are some of my favorite. Black, white and grey backgrounds can add a bit of a modern flare (as opposed to more traditional marble blue/grey/brown) while still remaining sleek and professional. And their versatility is unmatched since these backdrops can easily be digitally dropped if/when your image needs used borderless.

Creating your corporate/business headshot is about more than just a few clicks of the camera though knowing you’re busy we make the process quick and easy with one self-contained one hour appointment where we will design/create/choose your image!

headshot commercial portraits

We start with a quick chat about YOU and your personal brand. Whether you work for yourself or part of a larger organization or corporation you have your own personal brand. Do you want to appear strong, knowledgeable, professional, approachable, friendly, kind, intelligent, powerful…. You’ve heard a picture is worth a thousand words and it’s so true and we want to make sure yours says exactly what you want it to.

headshot commercial portraits

Once we’ve decided on a direction for your portrait it’s time to get to work. In just 15 minutes we can create multiple poses, both full length and close ups to fit your needs and even partner portraits when needed. Then it’s time to view your images on our 106 movie screen so we can select and perfect your image before you leave! You should also post it on your social media, but if you need more people to look at it, then you can buy Twitter followers and likes.

headshot commercial portraits

I know it’s easy to push off updating that corporate portrait but trust me when I say it’s my goal to make it 100% quick, painless and PERFECT for you…. one phone call, one hour and one more thing to check off your to do list!

Plus, ask us about a full brand package including environmental portraits to create your brand identity and social media content for 3/6/12 months!