Northeast San Antonio Metrocom Edition - August 2022

DINING FEATURE Happy Day Café Eatery named Live Oak’s 2022 ‘Best of’ winner T onya Atkins opened Happy

3 DISHES TO TRY

BY JARRETT WHITENER

girls who made a TikTok with our food, and I had people who started reviews and things on Yelp.” With this perseverance, Happy Day Café became popular in the area and won three awards in the Best of Live Oak competition in 2022. The awards included Best Sandwich, Best Breakfast and Best Local Restaurant. “We were unaware of us leading the competition until it was halfway through the month,” Atkins said. “It was so surprising to us to have all those people supporting us and saying we were their favorite restau- rant in the city. It was one of those times I was ready to lock the door, but then I saw that and knew I had to keep going.” Happy Day Café oers breakfast and lunch with the full menu avail- able at any time during the day. Atkins said she takes pride in her homemade food, including local favorites such as scrambled egg rolls, biscuit sandwiches and burgers. “We make our own biscuits, and we cut our own potatoes,” Atkins said. “If we can do it by hand, then we will.” With Happy Day Café nding its footing, Atkins hopes to one day expand to a second location or to try a new project in the future. For now, Atkins said she will continue moving forward with her restaurant and serving the best food she can. “This community has allowed me a great opportunity and has really humbled me, and I am so apprecia- tive of the kindness,” Atkins said.

Day Café in Live Oak in February 2021 serving up homemade favorites. Prior to opening the restaurant, Atkins worked on the River Walk for 27 years in the restaurant industry. With the regulations and strain the COVID-19 pandemic put on the restaurant industry, the position that Atkins worked was eliminated. “For 27 years, that was my iden- tity,” Atkins said. “I have always wanted my own place, and me and my friend Everett have always talked about opening a restaurant because we love to cook.” Having a passion for cooking and losing a job after 27 years, Atkins took the risk of opening her own restaurant. The beginning of running a restau- rant was a challenge, Atkins said, but Happy Day Café was able to overcome it and nd its place in the community. “Opening the restaurant got my condence back,” Atkins said. “During COVID[-19], I really lost everything and felt displaced, but I realized that I did know what I was doing.” Atkins said she was condent in starting the restaurant, but that she also had to face moments where she felt like giving up. She said instead she persevered through dicult days. Atkins attributes her success to the community and the customers who came in to give her food a chance. “We had people that I didn’t know, and it chokes me up, and they helped us,” Atkins said. “We had some young

The scrambled egg rolls ($8.99) are stued with eggs, sausage, bacon, peppers and onions.

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The fried green tomatoes ($6.99) are one of the more popular side dishes.

The bacon cheddar burger ($8.99) also includes pickles, lettuce and tomatoes.

WE MAKE OUR OWN BISCUITS, AND WE CUT OUR OWN POTATOES. IF WE CAN DO IT BY HAND, THEN WE WILL. TONYA ATKINS, OWNER

Tonya Atkins (right) and her friend Everett Parks opened Happy Day Café.

Happy Day Café 8320 Pat Booker Road, Live Oak 210-462-1911 www.happyday.cafe Hours: Tue.-Sun. 8 a.m.-3 p.m., closed Mon.

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