Faith, Hope and a Restaurant Redemption!

Erika started out in the restaurant business helping to run DiCosmos Italian Deli in Clark NJ on weekends for 20 years. With the love and encouragement of her husband Steven and her Mother in-law Betsy, Erika struck out on her own in 2012. It wasn’t easy, but with great food, a kind heart and a motherly love of her customers “Erika’s Cucina” was a big hit!

In life we all have challenges and unfortunately, misfortune came in the form of a severe car accident for Erika. Only by the grace of God was the restaurant able to survive, while Erika struggled to do the same. Unable to remember her recipes, Erika was in the fight of her life! After 18 months of cognitive and physical therapy, she heroically came back to the restaurant with the use of a cane and taught herself how to cook again.

Surviving economically in a pandemic while enduring a three month-long crippling corrective back surgery is something to be praised, but now throw in today’s runaway inflation and things had gone from bad to worse. Erika’s dream of thriving again seemed impossible. Going it alone, except for some occasional part-time help, one day at a time, one sale at a time, hope in Erika’s eyes was fast diminishing.

Despite Erika’s heroic attempts to stay open, a scarcity mindset had set in and she was running out of options. Although she had been praying her heart out for redemption, some bills started piling up and a plan to “Just walk away” was all there was left...

Then this happened!

We hope you are inspired by this Miracle of Answered Prayer. Our God is so faithful. Won’t you please stop in for a fantastic lunch and say you heard of us on Star 99.1? Also, kindly share this amazing unfolding story of Faith, Hope and Answered Prayer with your friends and family on social media?

Currently the budget for staffing (and everything else) is nominal. If you are moved by this story and feel a pull to help out and have experience in the restaurant business, please consider volunteering some of your time? Just send us a message on kitchendelightsclark . com Erika is staring down retirement age, so let’s help her thrive again and finish strong?

“And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” James 1:4

“Omg this is really happening! God is great and you and your crew are unbelievable! This is a truly an answer to my prayers, I can’t tell you enough how grateful and thankful I feel. Thank you for everything you do and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to help me, I know you know that I’m beyond grateful. This is so wonderful, I know we have an awesome God and I’m thankful every day for Him being our savior, everything happening now is a miracle”

~Erika

I’m so proud of my wonderful family and employees who have come together on time, under grace and in a perfect way for Erika. "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” God put it on my heart to give Erika a “Fish” in the form of a check. We all need some help from time to time and I thought our work was done. After a second meeting and some probing questions, I realized there was an even greater opportunity to serve and Erika would need to be taught “How to Fish”. My trusted Marketing manager Dennis and I got busy learning about the restaurant business. We formulated a plan filled with fresh marketing, innovative ideas and technology and Kitchen Delights was born! Because God is MORE than able, and through the kind efforts of people like you, it will just be a matter of time before Kitchen Delights is up and thriving, Erika’s Prayers are fully answered and her dreams fulfilled.

~Dave McKenna

Encouragement for the prayerful