Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheyne Hickey.
Hi Cheyne, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My family has been in the food industry at the State Fair of Texas since 1949. My great grandfather, Joe Nevins, got his start at the fair with good old fashioned cheeseburgers and fried chicken. His fried chicken stand was so iconic that my family still gets asked where the chicken stand is. My grandfather, Gary Nevins, then built the empire to 30 something stands. My mother and sister still continues on with the incredible legacy that is Nevins Concessions and have 9 stands. In 2020, in the height of Covid, I was miserable working a 9-5 job that simply was not meant for me, and I took a risk and giant leap of faith to start a food truck, Lil Red’s, serving sliders and gourmet sandwiches. I have always loved cooking, especially cooking for others – Id say my love language is when I get compliments on my food creations. In 2023, I decided why not, and applied for my own stand at the State Fair of Texas with the concept of Stay Cheesy – Gourmet Grilled Cheese by Lil Reds. Much to my surprise, my concept was accepted and I got my own stand in the food court building out at the fair! Grilled cheese sandwiches are so nostalgic for me and people of all ages love a good, warm, melty grilled cheese. A huge thing for me when I started was taking the grilled cheese to the next level. I use real sourdough bread and use high quality cheese and other ingredients. Grilled cheese is so versatile and I love getting to come up with new creations and putting my own special little twist on all of my sandwiches! Cooking is truly an art form.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This journey hasnt always been easy. I took a big risk leaving a steady paying job to start my own business, and shortly after I started my food truck, I became pregnant with my daughter. When you own your own business, you can luckily set your own schedule but that also means you can’t just take a paid leave either. I was working in my food truck in the hot Texas summer up until I was about 7 months pregnant and only stopped because of doctors orders or else I probably would have kept working until I went into labor! When I applied for my stand at the fair, it was all on my own, knowing it would take a large initial investment to get started. While my family is still out there, my mother and sister have pretty much been grandfathered into an already established and well-known business. They are my inspirations and the hardest working women I know, but they could not help me as a newbie because they simply couldnt understand starting from scratch. It really was all on me to figure it out, and Im so lucky to have been given the opportunity to share my passion for food at one of the greatest fairs in the nation. While it is only a 24 day fair, it is year round hard work making sure everything is perfect and coming up with new creations, working on equipment and of course educating myself more because we are never done learning how to improve out crafts. The days are long and hard, working from 6am to 11pm for 24 days straight is exhausting but the work is also so rewarding.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Stay Cheesy you can find a lot of different flavors of grilled cheese sandwiches. I make one called the Mac and Grilled Cheese which has cheddar cheese, white cheddar mac, and bacon on toasty sourdough bread. I make a Pizza Grilled Cheese, with fresh marinara, basil leaves, mozzarella and pepperoni, and then I sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top of the toasted bread for a little razzle dazzle. Even my OG, original grilled cheese, is not just your basic wonder bread and kraft cheese. I load up the sourdough with gouda, cheddar and havarti cheeses. If youre feeling a little Boujee, I have the Boujee Grilled Cheese with turkey, havarti cheese, brie cheese, arugula, julienned apples and a housemade cranberry mayo sauce. I also make fresh cut french fries that I toss in my homemade seasoned salt and a side of my homemade Damn Serious fry sauce which I am really proud of and hope to get this bottled in the future. Im also very proud to offer gluten free bread for my gluten free peeps and hope to offer dairy free cheese in the future for those with a dairy allergy or those who simply choose to be dairy free and vegan. I have had repeat customers every year because I offer gluten free bread and my french fries are also gluten free and they tell me I am one of the only places they can eat at the fair and that makes me so proud to be an option for everyone.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Dallas will always hold a special place in my heart. I attended Booker T Washington High School and was part of the theatre program there. I grew up in what used to be a smaller country town and so attending high school in the big city was such a fun experience for me. I love that Dallas offers so much diversity and opportunities for everyone. I hate the traffic, but I sure do love the city and the people!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staycheesybylilred?igsh=aWVpMnpnemN3cDd5
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AKbcfPEb2/?mibextid=wwXIfr
