CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – When a vehicle crashed into the Royals of Troy restaurant on May 3 of last year, leaving the husband-and-wife-owned sandwich shop without a front entrance, the owners faced a challenge that could have ended their business.

Instead, with determination, creativity and overwhelming community support, the Fluvanna County eatery not only survived but emerged stronger than before.

“We could only run stuff out the back door because we literally didn’t have a front,” co-owner Ryan Coffman told Cville Right N0w. “It was call-in only. People would come knock on the door then we would take everything to the car.”

Rather than shutting down, the restaurant pivoted to takeout service, serving customers through the back entrance while repairs were underway. What happened next reinforced Coffman’s faith in the community he serves.

“It was almost just like a parking lot party every Thursday, Friday, Saturday night,” he said. “It’s fun watching people just talk to each other.”

The support was more than appreciated — it was essential.

“We couldn’t have asked for anymore. I mean, they kept us afloat,” Coffman said.

Today, Royals of Troy is fully reopened and enjoying more customer traffic than ever before.

“Four out of six days that we’re open, we have people waiting for us to turn the open sign on and unlock the door,” Coffman said, “which is a blessing. We love the community.”

Coffman credits the restaurant’s success not to himself, but to the quality of the food and the loyalty of customers who continue to return.

“It just makes me feel pretty incredible,” he said. “It’s not because of me. It’s because the food is really good. If it wasn’t, they wouldn’t come back. Maybe some of them would, but most of them wouldn’t.”

Royals of Troy has built a reputation for serving scratch-made food at affordable prices. Nearly everything on the menu is prepared in-house and the restaurant regularly offers specials to keep customers coming back.

“We always have running specials. It’s just all about feeding our community that has helped us so much,” Coffman said. “We make everything in-house. It’s a scratch-made kitchen. We can do special requests. If anybody gives notice, we could basically make them anything they want.”

Among the restaurant’s signature offerings are its popular garlic bombs — rolls stuffed with a ricotta and cream cheese mixture, baked, coated in garlic butter and served with marinara sauce.

“We come out with fair prices and things like that, but we’ve got a lot of signature stuff that we make,” Coffman said. “Some of the best garlic bread you’ve ever had in your life.”

The experience of overcoming adversity has strengthened Coffman’s commitment to serving the community that supported his business during its most difficult days.

“That just happens by not giving up and relying on our regulars,” he said. “We can’t do it without customers. They rallied around us and supported us. We were leaning on our community, but now they can lean on us.”

For Coffman, the restaurant’s mission extends beyond selling sandwiches. It’s about giving back.

“For us now, after fully reopening, it’s just about giving back to the people who gave so much to us,” he said. “We want to serve our community with some really good food that’s affordable and delicious.”

That philosophy is reflected in every customer who walks through the door.

“The more people I can bring in the door and give a world-class guest experience to, that could be a future customer,” Coffman said.

As Royals of Troy continues to grow, Coffman remains grateful for the support that carried the restaurant through one of its toughest chapters.

“Just keep supporting us and we’ll keep supporting you,” he said.