When you walk into Elicious Southern Style Breakfast and Brunch you feel welcome – and hungry.
The waiting area has wall-to-wall photos of entertainers including the Jackson 5 and Chuck Berry. A record player is surrounded by Frankie Beverly and Maze, Luther Vandross, and Renee & Angela records.
The Commodores ‘Brick House’ was playing as patrons eagerly awaiting the next available enjoyed the music before sitting down to a southern-style breakfast.
Owner Johnny Little says being in his restaurant “is like being at a family reunion. People bump into someone they haven’t seen in a while almost on a daily basis,”
A newcomer to the Ferguson business community, Elicious opened its doors in December. The restaurant is open on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We give people who are retired, a place to come to,” said Little.
Sunday hours are from 10:00am to 3:00pm and Mondays the restaurant is closed. Little says customers enjoy the vibes of the breakfast and brunch restaurant, the music and ambiance. Looking at album covers really takes them down memory lane.
Located on the 500 block of South Florissant Road, Elicious serves breakfast all day, and also features hamburgers, salads, and wraps. Little said he worked on the menu two years before opening his restaurant, adding that many dishes are inspired from his childhood.
The restaurant owner tells the St. Louis American his parents migrated to St. Louis from Mississippi and brought along their southern style cooking. Fried breakfast pork chops, catfish and grits, and his southern style omelet with pork sausage and bacon are southern staples.
“The food you get from your mama’s kitchen, that’s what you’ll get here,” said Little.
Little greets guests, talking with them like they’re old friends. However, the restaurant owner wasn’t always in the hospitality industry. He is a former marketing professional who says owning a restaurant was never a part of what he envisioned. A friend contacted him and told him the former Marley’s Bar & Grill was for sale.
Little initially passed on the idea of becoming a restaurateur, but while driving in Ferguson he spotted the for sale sign at the former bar and grill. Little moved forward with a complete renovation. The waiting area was once a game room filled with pool tables and a bar where his dining area is.
The 5,000 square foot restaurant has seen many changes, but Little kept the original walls. He describes the decor of his restaurant as “a modern, rustic barn style.”
Elicious Southern Style Breakfast and Brunch is a part of the resurgence of Ferguson, Little points out there are a lot of eateries along South Florissant. He names Cathy’s Kitchen, Drakes, Bee Hive Cafe and many more. He says it’s the beginning of changing Ferguson.
The restaurant owner is big on changing Ferguson for the better. One of his employees is a student at the Ferguson-Florissant School District and a part of the Ferguson Youth Initiative (FYI). Little donated $5,000 towards the initiative scholarship program, the program helps place students in hospitality positions to learn more about the industry.
“This is a community restaurant for everybody,” said Little.
Lathon and Chalana Ferguson frequent the restaurant often and say the food and service is really good.
“One of my favorite dishes growing up that my grandfather used to make was catfish and grits, and when I find a restaurant that can make it well, it becomes my go to.” said Lathon Ferguson.
Pastor James Goforth said “it’s a hug on a plate.”
Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.
