Littles deliver residence cooking to Albemarle at Lillie/Ann – The Stanly Information & Press

The title — Lillie/Ann House Cooking — says all of it, or most of it.
Donnell and Daybreak Little have immortalized their moms, Lillie and Ann, for the best way they ready extraordinary meals at residence for his or her households.

“We love good meals, and we like to eat,” stated the couple who lately opened a restaurant on Freeway 52 in Albemarle.

The Littles talked for a few years about beginning a restaurant and in March 2022 Donnell stated to his spouse, “We are able to do that.”

They observed the necessity for a lunch and dinner restaurant in north Albemarle for individuals who need “residence cooking.” They discovered an empty constructing on U.S. Freeway 52 in Albemarle previously occupied by Fortunate Tusk.

It was “a giant threat, however we stepped out on religion,” Donnell stated.

“Constructing prep took time and we needed to gather kitchen tools and eating room furnishings, and there have been delays with the constructing,” Donnell added.

To verify that they had every thing they wanted once they opened, Daybreak spent months looking for furnishings and ordering provides.

“Amazon made a supply to our home daily, some days twice a day,” she stated.

After greater than six months of exhausting work, Lillie/Ann House Cooking started serving the general public on Dec. 1, 2022.

The Littles aren’t afraid of exhausting work.

“We’ve labored two jobs for so long as I can bear in mind,” stated Donnell.

He was final employed by Vacation Inn Specific because the breakfast host and prepare dinner, and for a few years dealt with janitorial providers in native authorities places of work. As a nurse, Daybreak cared for residents of Bethany Woods for 26 years and has been with Atrium Well being for 3, whereas additionally taking occasional waitress positions.

Along with his expertise within the hospitality business, Donnell realized rather a lot from a cousin who opened a restaurant.
This husband-and-wife staff counts on their sisters who assist with meals preparation, notably the numerous aspect objects. Daybreak’s specialty heirloom dish is the broccoli hen casserole — her mom’s recipe — and her in-demand cornbread fritters. She has to remind prospects that the cornmeal delicacies are served solely on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Phrase about Lillie/Ann traveled rapidly by means of the group as evidenced by the road that shaped on a latest Sunday, half-hour earlier than the midday opening.

“We’re simply glad people select to eat Sunday dinner right here,” stated Donnell. “We’ve needed to study quick and we’re so grateful the group is keen to work with us.”

“We wish prospects to be glad once they depart right here. We care about what we serve to folks,” added Daybreak. “We wish to see the standard of the meat and produce for ourselves, not simply get it off a truck. It’s additionally essential whether or not the workers appears neat and uniform.”

To that finish, the wait workers put on shiny toned shirts with a transparent message, “Meals cooked from coronary heart and soul.”

Lillie/Ann House Cooking is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday by means of Saturday and midday to six p.m. Sunday. It presents dine-in, carry-out and drive-up service, and can take reservations. It could possibly seat teams of as much as 18 with advance discover.