SEBASTIAN — Allyson Hicks is banking on her husband. John Hicks opened his 3 AM Deli this month in Sebastian’s north end.
His hook is that all his dishes are made with fresh ingredients and no preservatives that can be identified by sight. His better half approves.
“I really believe in what John does. I think he’s an amazing chef and that anyone who tries it will agree,” Allyson Hicks said.
It is the family of four’s only source of income.
The restaurant serves lunch and breakfast, but – unlike the name implies – not at 3 a.m.
“I get that a lot,” said John Hicks, a classically trained chef who graduated from a culinary institute in 1984. “It really stands for my wife and two kids, Allyson, Andrea and Aiden, and all their middle names start with an M, thus 3 AM.”
The business is a family affair.
Hicks does virtually everything himself, with no paid staff for now.
Allyson runs errands, picks up supplies, at times runs food out to customers, but overall her focus while “on the floor” is on customer service and making sure a customer’s experience is good enough to share.
The children pitch in – mostly for fun – when not attending or studying for Liberty Magnet School.
Allyson is more the creative director, always making crafts to charm customers and provide a cheerful ambiance.
Aiden helps out behind the counter, hauls in produce, and takes out trash, whatever little job his father will allow.
“I like the work,” he said, “but I don’t get paid.”
The Hickses hope they can provide paid jobs very soon, but say they know it first means an uphill climb.
The timing of the café’s opening just happened to land mid-summer, the slowest time of year, when snowbirds are lunching up north.
Restaurants in the Sebastian area face an uncertain future no matter the time of year, but the easygoing New Jersey/New York transplant has friends and makes new ones easily.
“These guys are great. Have you tried the pulled pork? Amazing,” said Don Wright, the Sebastian vice major and Realtor.
People stop by, hang out, grab a meal at a counter or take orders to go.
Right now, Hicks invites the public to come by, sample his fare and help him choose the best of the best of his favorite dishes.
Voting is also virtual by social media.
Favorites will find a slot on a permanent menu, with brand new creations appearing all the time. Their run on the menu will depend on a strong number of Likes generated on Facebook, or they’ll close like a Broadway show.
“That’s really our push, and how we find people’s purchasing decisions are influenced today,” Hicks said as he arranged a crispy chicken Parma John sandwich for an Instagram photo.
The deep green of arugula popped against the bright red of the homemade sauce and melted white mozzarella cheese.
Earlier in the day a Benedict Ally took the spotlight, a sunny side-up egg greeting the day on a slice of salami, smothered in homemade Hollandaise sauce and served on slices of crunchy French bread.
Foodie fans follow him on Twitter and look for frequent Facebook posts.
Photos are important, because what you see is what you get.
“We only serve ‘identifiable foods,’ meaning you can see or taste the ingredients. You shouldn’t need a chemistry degree to understand what’s in the food you’re eating,” Hicks said. “We make all sauces, dressings, and mayos from scratch and use only fresh produce, poultry, and meat, never frozen. It’s not health food, but healthy food for your body that’s a pleasure to eat.”
Eventually, there will be a hardcopy cookbook also available as an e-book.
The recipes are designed so that consumers can create healthy dishes at home.
T-shirts, mugs and other paraphernalia are on order with the goal of making it 3 AM in any time zone.
Currently, there are only a few seats at a counter.
As the restaurant prepares for an official Sebastian Chamber of Commerce grand opening on the snowbirds’ fall return, there will be more inside seating and benches, tables and chairs outside.
Hicks summed up his food philosophy: “Essentially, it’s fancy French food for every day at an affordable price.”
