This invention describes methods for enhancing carbon flow into a pathway of a host cell to enhance the biosynthetic production of compounds therefrom, the host cells being selected based on being phenotypically Pts^-/glucose⁺. Such host cells are capable of transporting glucose without consuming PEP, resulting in conservation of PEP which can be re-directed into the pathway in order to enhance the production of desired compounds along the pathway. Pts^-/glucose⁺ mutants have been shown to be advantageous for the enhanced production of the aromatic amino acids.