Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Hicks
Hi Joe, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As the youngest boy of 11 kids, I gained my love for cooking from my two older sisters. I lost my mother at the young age of 9, so my sisters were a huge influence in shaping me in the kitchen. As a young boy, I helped at my sister Bitsy’s cafe. When I came of age, I started working in various restaurants. I didn’t start as a cook, but my “gift to gab” always landed me a cooking position. I love people and love to “shoot the breeze”, but I knew how to be quick and efficient and yet, CLEAN at the same time. In my early 20’s I started opening up Denny’s throughout the US as a Cook Supervisor/Trainer. I then went on to do the same for Jojo’s Restaurants.
Fast forward 20+ years later and having worked for many different restaurants and various industries, I lost my job in 2008 and had to re-invent! I found myself back where I started. This was always meant to be. I’m totally in my element in a kitchen, but this time it was my own. I’m not working for “the man”. I get to make all the rules. Joe’s Cafe opened up in 2009 and so 15 years later, we are going strong today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life is never smooth, but you have to appreciate the bumps along the way and learn from them. In my personal life, before coming to Utah, I battled with addiction. Coming to Utah was a wonderful decision! Meeting my better half was the BEST thing that happened to me. Having a soulmate who supports and understands you at your worst and enjoys life with you at your best is extremely humbling and a true blessing.
As for business, we had to learn to crawl before we could walk. We started very small and I was a one-man band. I took orders, cooked, and washed dishes by myself. Then after 3-4 months, I hired one person to help take orders and wash dishes. It was a slow beginning, but we expected it. We slowly grew and words got out that there’s a unique new breakfast joint with a southern twist in town. During the pandemic, we struggled like most restaurants but didn’t feel a sense of panic. We received a lot of support during the beginning of the BLM movement. Some support came from out of state. With the same spirit of support, we used the donations we received to pay it forward and delivered food to the first responders and the teachers. It was truly fun and rewarding. Now 15 years later, we are truly blessed. Business is going well. I give this credit to the lord as without him, this would not be possible.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We are a breakfast and lunch cafe. I’m from Houston, TX, so my food has a lot of love and soul. I serve your usual All American breakfasts such as pancakes, waffles, ands omelets. I also serve lunch items which includes tuna melts and 1/2lb hamburgers, but my speciality would have to be my biscuits and gravy and my sweet southern grits. These are my best selling items and it’s so rewarding to introduce my customers to a new dish they haven’t tried and yet haven’t even heard of (grits).
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I grew up in the rural south in the 50’s where I couldn’t walk into a Joe’s Cafe from the front door. I do consider myself a risk taker. I moved from Houston TX to Salt Lake City UT, that’s a risk. I opened up a black-owned restaurant in UT County, where I didn’t know what kind of support I would receive from the majority white population there, and that’s a risk that I do not regret.
Pricing:
- Biscuits & Gravy-$11.50 -extra meaty gravy loaded on a biscuit
- Grits-$5 small or $6.95 large- sweet and buttery melt in your mouth southern grits
- Pancake Combo-$13.50-Mountain of silver dollar pancakes served with eggs cooked any style and choice of bacon or sausage
- Club Sandwich-$12.95-One of the biggest sandwich you’ll ever have, includes bacon, lettuce, tomato, turkey, ham, and cheese. Served with chips or potato salad and a pickle spear.
- Joe’s Ultimate Burger-$13.50-Half pounder, never frozen, seasoned with Slap Yo Mama Cajun seasoning. Incudes chips or potato salad.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joescafeorem.com
- Instagram: @JoescafeOrem
