Tucked in the brick alley between the Lyric Theater and South Depot Taco Shop on the Square, Oxford’s newest restaurant, Good Day Café opened its window (there are no doors) last Wednesday, Sept. 28, providing Oxford with a new spot to grab a quick lunch.
Their succinct menu features five sandwiches — the Good Burger, the Funky Chicken, the Young Turk, the Soprano (which feeds two), the Skinny Dip — and one salad — the Salad Days. It also features specialty drinks like Liquid Death water and Lulu’s Iced Coffee.
Ross Hester, one of the owners of Good Day Café said the café is something the town was missing.
“There’s not just a ton of really good, quick lunch options–especially for sandwiches,” Hester said. “We thought that there was a niche… and we could fill that niche.”
Hester pointed to other lunch favorites around the square like the Blind Pig, Proud Larry’s and South Depot, but said most were a sit-down affair. As for some of the other lunch restaurants like Bouré, Saint Leo or City Grocery, not only were they sit-down, but also formal. It became clear to him that there was a need for something like Good Day Café.
The Oxford community recognized the need for that niche to be filled as well.
Tessa McLane, a general business major, is a student at the University of Mississippi, who ate at Good Day Café on its opening day. She discovered it through Bar Muse on social media, and said the café quickly caught her attention.
“I’m a foodie at heart, and seeing Oxford gain a new place that had such a cool vibe piqued my interest instantly,” McLane said.
Drawn in by the comforting atmosphere of the alley, she and her roommate sat down at two of the 14 outdoor counter seats to eat.
“As soon as me and my roommate took the first bite, we both just looked at each other, saying no words, and our eyes just widened,” McLane said. “When Joe came up and asked us how we were enjoying our food, we simply nodded because our mouths were stuffed.”
James-Beard Restaurant and Chef Award nominee Joseph (Joe) Stinchcomb and Hester are two of the three Good Day Café owners, and also own Bar Muse, an intimate cocktail bar inside the Lyric that offers a rotating menu of craft drinks. Hester explained that the two had been considering utilizing the Lyric alleyway for a while, but didn’t know what direction they wanted to take it in. Once the idea arose to create a lunch location with the help of head chef Patrick Hudgins, the ball started rolling quickly.
The three decided to move forward with the “lunch café” concept, and one of the main items on the docket was creating the menu. Rather than overcomplicating it, Hudgins said they went about making decisions as naturally as possible: making food they knew people liked.
Creating the menu wasn’t the only part of the planning process the owners chose to approach in an organic way: They also decided their name in about a day.
“I just wanted it to be fun, and not take itself too seriously. I wanted the food to speak for itself,” Hudgins said. “And hopefully eating the sandwiches and being around us will improve your day.”
According to McLane, the owners created the exact experience they were hoping for.
“I was coming from work at Farmstead (Florals), so I wasn’t dressed to the nines, but it didn’t matter,” McLane said. “No one judged me, and they still welcomed us with open arms. It was a little space perfectly tucked away from the craziness of the Square, and I can confirm it made my day a lot better.”
Despite the chaos that comes with opening a restaurant, Hudgins and Hester said that their first week was successful. The food was a hit, their social media presence has grown and they’ve started to get into the swing of what running the café looks like.
Heading into their second week, Hester is feeling energized and excited for what’s ahead.
“I feel good,” Hester said. “I feel energized, and I feel excited that we get to do this for Oxford, in Oxford.”
As for menu recommendations for those planning on visiting Good Day Café, Hudgins recommends the Good Burger. Some of last week’s patrons told the owners it was the best burger they’ve ever had. Hester recommends the Young Turk, a twist on the classic turkey sandwich with Hudgins’s tomato jam, peppery arugula and fresh turkey on sourdough.
“In small spaces like Good Day, there’s not a whole lot of menu filler,” Hester said. “If we put it on there, it’s pretty good.”
Good Day Café is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. They hope to have online to-go ordering available soon, but in the meantime, you can visit them in-person in the alleyway between the Lyric and South Depot, or check out their Instagram.
