Quirky and Eccentric
Boonsboro’s My Mini-Mart & Dream Diner.
In Boonsboro, the My Mini-Mart & Dream Diner is a hidden gem of made-to-order food, excellent service, and a few other surprises
By April Bartel
The two dining rooms at My Mini-Mart & Dream Diner.
Boonsboro locals know where to go when they want food that’s stacked high, scratch-made, and served with genuine care: My Mini-Mart & Dream Diner. Set inside the town’s former American Legion Hall (c.1921), the diner has become a community hub powered by scratch recipes and the kind of personal attention that makes regulars feel like family.
Owner Michelle Raichel-Vining is no stranger to reinvention. Over the years she has gone from auctioneer to dojang master and now “chef.” Always entrepreneurial, she opened Warriors Karate here in 1997, teaching tae kwon do, kickboxing, and self-defense. Later, she introduced Flying High Bungee Fitness.
“I’m a jack of all trades and a master of one,” she laughs, a nod to her background as a ninth-degree black belt, former No. 1 fighter in the nation, and world champion inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. “Those are the things I used to do for kicks.”
“I always dreamed about opening a restaurant so I could cook my granny’s recipes,” she says. “I cooked with her ever since I was a child.”
Those memories anchor her menu as much as they anchor her mission, to serve people and make a positive impact. It is a fact that is evidenced by her massive volunteer efforts, feeding dozens of families each year, along with a gift drive in partnership with Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, and other social services.
That generous spirit dovetails with another inspiration. “When we were kids, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was a big thing. I’d watch him giving kids candy and tell my brothers and sisters, ‘I’m going to own that soda shop someday.’”
Michelle Raichel-Vining’s famous three-egg omelet.
In many ways, her dreams have come true. The diner and mini-mart combo blends nostalgia, whimsy, and hearty homestyle cooking in equal measure. My Mini-Mart still carries essentials: drinks, candy, instant meals, over-the-counter medicines, lottery tickets, and even hand-dipped ice cream in season. In the diner, guests can choose from favorites like finger-licking ribs, thick burgers, chicken tenders, and meatloaf with sweet bourbon sauce, or one of the inventive monthly specials. That might mean hearty chicken pot pie stew ladled over a biscuit or a cheesy French toast bake.
Breakfast is a big deal. Raichel-Vining can knock out breakfast sandwiches, but she loves seeing folks enjoy her grandmother’s southern-style sausage gravy and biscuits. The enticing Cinnabon-style swirled pancakes come with bacon and a drink while her famous three-egg omelets, loaded any way you like, are always a top seller. In true diner fashion, breakfast never ends. You can dig into eggs and hashbrowns at dinnertime while the table next to you enjoys made-to-order crab cakes or a tangy Reuben layered with house-brined, slow roasted brisket.
It’s all about personal preference here. “I’m going to make your food the way you want it,” she says. Raichel-Vining takes pride in scratch-made food. If you like your tuna salad with extra onion or a dash of pickle relish, just say the word.
“I don’t serve fast food,” she says, quoting her granny. “I serve good food.” The reward is hearing guests say a meal was worth the wait.
What’s a diner without ice cream?
And don’t forget dessert. The diner’s menu tempts with handmade cakes, pies, and cookies, perfectly paired with caramel iced coffee, chai frappes, or winter-favorite hazelnut mochas. And the mini-mart side of the building always has plenty of candy, grab-and-go muffins, and slices of creamy cheesecake.
Some folks come to socialize over a leisurely meal or chat with their favorite servers. Others take advantage of the free Wi-Fi and work while they grab a bite. There are stacks of board games and vintage pinball machines, making it a place where families linger and groups gather. And with Boonsboro’s largest parking lot, there’s always room to stop in.
Ever evolving, Raichel-Vining has one more big project underway. Behind the diner’s bright dining room, in the former training studio, she and her husband are transforming the soaring space into a lounge and dance club. It will feature a horseshoe bar, an elevated stage, and plenty of seating. She laughs about tackling a good part of the construction herself.
“My main focus is getting it finished.” They hope to open later this year.
Through all the building’s incarnations, Raichel-Vining’s calling to serve the community keeps her pushing forward.
“People tell me this place is a ‘hidden gem.’” She shares with a final laugh, “Maybe I’ll make that the new name when the lounge opens.” That feels right.
Teas of all kinds are always an option.