Phil Poorman never believed the health inspector’s word of doubt.

Poorman, founder and owner of Mr. Sticky’s, the Phillips/Plankenhorn Small Business of the Year Award 2025 Recipient at the 140th annual Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet this week at Farrington Place, had other plans.

Sweet success

“We’ve gone through some hard times but we always came through,” he told those gathered for the banquet inside Farrington Place.

He was joined on stage by his wife, Marcy.

Poorman recalled when he first opened the restaurant and a health inspector visited and his first comment to him was – ‘You know what, nobody’s ever made it in this building before,'” Poorman said of where Mr. Sticky’s is located in the building at 1948 E. Third St.

“That was just so special,” Poorman said to chamber members’ laughter.

Luckily, that didn’t hold true and over the years Mr. Sticky’s ownership and employees have been “so thankful for people who come back year after year,” Poorman said.

Jay Alexander, the chamber board chairman and general manager for the Wayne Township Landfill, presented Poorman with the award, but not before a video was shown with contributing comments from Mr. Sticky’s employees.

According to Mr. Sticky’s literature on its website, what began as a family business created and operated by the family, started out in the Boarding House Restaurant at the Grange Fair in Centre Hall.

A well-known Sugar Valley baker, who was a cook at the restaurant, shared the sticky bun recipe with Poorman, who spent several months reworking it and created what is served today. “It really does make us feel appreciated,” he said.

He also touched on having a franchise license for eight years, not realizing that such expansion would gain national attention.

“The guy doing our franchising called me up the next day and said ‘my phone is ringing off the hook,'” Poorman said.

It’s been a quarter century in business.

“This is our 25th year,” he said. “I’m very happy about that,” Poorman said, of living his dream of the business ownership, but not taking credit for the success on his own, instead attributing his success to his family, employees and also “our clientele, our customers who’ve been so faithful to us.”

Mr. Sticky’s is the first member to receive both the Emerging Business of the Year Award and the Small Business of the Year Award.