Conversations with Sara Williams

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Williams.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
My parents moved our family to Oak Island in 1986 for my stepfather’s job. I met my now husband at South Brunswick High, and we were high school sweethearts… After 1 year, my parents decided to move our family back up north for my stepfather’s job. I left my heart and love of the beach in NC. We kept in touch off and on through the years. In 2009, I was going through a rough divorce and found my high school sweetheart on Facebook and decided to reach out. He was also going through a divorce. After talking every day on the phone for months, I decided to make a visit to NC. After 2 years of talking on the phone and several trips to NC, we decided to make a more permanent decision and get married, so in 2012, I quit my job of 21 years, sold my house, and my daughter Marissa and I moved to NC and Tim, and I got married. I was unemployed and looking for work. I started doing loan closings as a notary and was sent to Bald Head one day to do a refinance closing. I ventured upstairs and found a cafe. I got a Soda and a muffin and went on my way. But that cafe stayed in the back of my mind. I loved baking… I thought, one day, I would live to open something like that. I didn’t think much more of it until I was sent to Bald Head for another closing and went upstairs again to get a soda. The cafe was empty and deserted. So, then the wheels started turning and all kinds of ideas sparked in my head. When I got home, I mentioned it to my husband, and we started thinking up all kinds of things. I didn’t know how to run a business, but loved to bake and to cook. My husband was a dental assistant at the time but had worked at many restaurants in Southport growing up, so we decided to jump in with both feet. I started making several calls to find out how to go about renting that space and creating a business that our whole family could work. We had 2 girls ages 14 and 15 at the time. We researched and researched how to go about doing this and finally opened in March of 2015. At first, we used the KISS method (Keep It Simple Stupid); we had a minimal menu and hired a girl in the neighborhood to work with us. She had graduated, so she worked during the week with us, and our girls worked the weekend. Over the years, we have taken menu suggestions from our customers, and now we have an extensive menu with an amazing French toast sandwich, crab cakes, and seafood salad. We make gourmet cheesecakes and specialty cakes for birthdays weddings, and just about any occasion. We do meals that you can take with you and bake, so it makes your vacation a little easier, or take them home after vacation when you get home and unpack and don’t feel like cooking. We try to do lunch specials as much as possible. And everything we serve is made on premise. Right now, the business is worked by myself, my daughter Mariss, and my husband, and we have a few other employees. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not a smooth road, we had to research everything and come up with recipes. Covid was especially difficult because we mainly cater to Bald Head homeowners and vacationers, and during covid, Bald Head limited how many people could go on each boat. Most people didn’t get out of line for anything for fear of losing their spot. On occasion, I would fill up a cooler with drinks head downstairs to the line and take orders, and have one of our employees bring the order downstairs. The hurricanes have been difficult as well. Florence shut our business down for 3 weeks as there was so much damage to the island that they sis not run boats for 3 weeks. But as soon as the boats started running again, we were there! We aren’t quitters! Working and living with a spouse or kids is not an easy task either, but somehow, we fight and make it work. I love my family, and we, like I said, are not quitters, so we strive to overcome. We all have struggles, but it’s how you react to struggles is what matters. Another struggle is people forgetting their spouse’s birthday or anniversary and needing a cake immediately. Like I said before, we make everything quickly. (to order) so we get done as much as possible as quickly as possible. My husband does an amazing job in the kitchen and puts orders out in record time. There are times when I am making a cake and will set down what I am doing to help him get the short orders done quickly. And then go back to what I’m doing. We have a small kitchen but make the best of what we have. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I would like to say that we are known for our quality of food. My husband works hard making sure whatever he puts out is delicious and we make everything as if we are making it for ourselves. Our motto is if we wouldn’t serve it to ourselves, we won’t serve it to our customers. My daughter, Marissa, makes beautiful salads and is continuously challenging me to a cake challenge. She has watched me from a young age and is now outdoing me in the cake. Challenges. She does beautiful work and continues to come up with creative ideas. Our employees sometimes chirp in with creative ideas as well. Everything is geared, and we try to do as much as possible. The beauty of owning our own business is that we don’t have to stay within the lines. We can serve just about anything we want. 

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Some people may not know that I take everything to heart, if you don’t like something that we serve (which is rare) I will do everything to make it right. I don’t say NO very often, which means I will stay till midnight to get things done. But I am trying to put that word in my vocabulary because I am killing myself trying to keep up. But I love to bake, and I love to be challenged with new ideas and recipes. All of our cakes and cheesecakes are baked from scratch at the cafe. And baked with love. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.islandtimescafe.net
• Facebook: Islandtimescafe