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When a Beloved Regular Didn’t Show Up, This Chef Knew Something Was Wrong
A longtime customer’s unexplained absence set off alarm bells at a Pensacola, Florida restaurant — and ultimately led a chef to save his life.
For a decade, 78-year-old Charlie Hicks was a familiar face at Shrimp Basket, stopping in twice a day to order the exact same meal, according to People. Living alone in an apartment nearby, Pensacola News Journal reports that Hicks would drive over and ask for gumbo with rice and no crackers.
So when he failed to show up for two consecutive days in September, the staff knew something wasn’t right.
“Mr. Hicks don’t miss no days,” chef Donell Stallworth said to CBS News. “We open the doors up, Mr. Hicks is there to greet us.”
“I knew, then, something was wrong,” he added.
Concerned, staff leader Denise Galloway then decided to bring Hicks his usual gumbo. At his request, she left the food outside his door so she wouldn’t risk catching an infection.
But after two days of drop-offs with no response, worry turned into urgency.
During his shift, Stallworth drove to Hicks’ apartment and knocked on the door again and again. Just as he was about to leave, he heard something inside.
“And right when I was going to turn, I heard something, a voice, just like, ‘Help,’ ” Stallworth said. “And then I opened the door up. He was [lying] on the ground, and I didn’t know what his condition was; that was the scariest part right there.”
It’s unclear how long Hicks had been on the floor, but doctors later determined he had two broken ribs and was severely dehydrated.
After Hicks was taken to the hospital, the Shrimp Basket team made sure he didn’t miss out on his favorite meal, delivering gumbo to him as he recovered. They also went a step further — helping him find a new apartment right next door to the restaurant and ensuring it was safe and ready before he moved in, according to CBS News.
When Hicks returned to the restaurant for the first time after his accident, Stallworth greeted him warmly. “I’m glad to have you back, buddy,” Stallworth told him.
“We made a connection,” Hicks said to CBS News. “We made a connection.”
Stallworth said having Hicks living nearby “is the best thing going.”
“He’s that uncle,” he added. “He’s that grandfather. He’s that best friend. He’s all in one.”
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