The alarm goes off at 4:15. It's been going off at 4:15 for nearly forty years. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, and I guess I am, but that doesn't mean I love it.
What I do love is the quiet of the deli before we open. The ovens warming up, the smell of fresh bread starting to fill the room, the coffee brewing. There's something sacred about those early hours before the first customer walks in.
By 6 AM, Gino and I have the soups started, the meats sliced, and the display case looking sharp. That's the work nobody sees, and it's the work that matters most.