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This Restaurant Regular Never Missed A Day Until He Disappeared

At the Shrimp Basket restaurant in Pensacola, Florida, 78-year-old Charlie Hicks maintained the same standing order twice daily for 10 years, eating a cup of gumbo light on rice with no cracker for both lunch and dinner, arriving so reliably that chef Donell Stallworth could set his clock by him. Hicks was omnipresent at the restaurant greeting staff when they opened the doors each morning until September when he suddenly didn’t show up for several days, immediately signaling to Stallworth that something was terribly wrong. Fearing the worst, Stallworth left work mid-shift and drove to Hicks’ apartment where he knocked repeatedly before hearing a faint voice crying for help, discovering Hicks lying on the ground in unknown condition after potentially days without assistance. Hicks was severely dehydrated with two broken ribs, but thanks to Stallworth’s quick action he survived, and thanks to the Shrimp Basket staff he would never be alone again.

The restaurant employees started by bringing his gumbo to the hospital, then went out and helped find Hicks a new apartment right next to the restaurant so they could always keep a watchful eye, even getting him new appliances and fixing up his new place. Three months after his accident, Hicks picked up his routine right where he left off, walking into the Shrimp Basket and sitting back down at his favorite table to order his favorite dish with nothing changed except their bond having grown even stronger. Stallworth explained that having Hicks now living next door is the best thing going, describing him as that uncle, that grandfather, and that best friend all in one person. The story proves that sometimes the people we serve meals to every day become family in the truest sense, with Hicks and Stallworth both agreeing they made a connection that transcends the typical relationship between restaurant staff and customer.

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