GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The daily special at Sweet Sensations on Tuesday, Aug. 19, was baked ziti. That means Tara Cross stayed long after her lunch shop closed on Monday, making homemade sauce by squeezing tomatoes and cooking garlic.

She’d be back at the popular restaurant at 25 N. Orange Ave. by 7 a.m. to finish her preparations and to make sure the dessert case was stocked with an assortment of sugary delights.

“When we do our egg salad sandwiches, we boil our eggs every day fresh, and we smash the eggs,” she said. “We boil our chicken. We slice our meat and cheese every day, ensuring everything remains fresh. Even our lettuce for our salads is delivered to us every day. We cut and wash our own lettuce. We don't buy bagged lettuce because I don't like the way it tastes.

“Everything we do is super fresh every day, including our soups. When we're out, we're out. Now and then, a customer may become upset when we're out, but they appreciate our efforts. They know when they come back, it’s going to be fresh every day.”

It’s also why Cross has stuck to a simple recipe for success by not serving breakfast or dinner. Sweet Sensations is only open for lunch, Monday through Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s the most popular place in the city to grab a sandwich, a bowl of soup, a daily special like meatloaf, a loaded baked potato, salads, or baked ziti, and best of all, a giant slice of pie, a mile-high slice of cake, or a delectable cookie.

“I'm trying to keep it that way,” Cross said.

She initially was in a smaller place at what’s now Domino’s Pizza, on the corner of N. Orange Avenue and Bayard Street. When the current location became available in 2010, she moved five blocks south and found a perfect home.

During a typical lunch, the dining room is filled with county judges, sheriff deputies, county and city officials, construction workers, retirees, firefighters, office workers and teachers.

“We do a lot of business for all the local schools,” Cross said. “We deliver lunches to them. They fax or call in their orders throughout the week, and we deliver them when they have items for teachers. I do a lot of catering. We also donate a lot of meals and try to help out the local schools.”

Cross started with a small bakery and chocolate shop, but many of her customers asked her to add sandwiches to her menu. She did in 2009, and she hasn't changed her menu since.

“You know, I just really enjoy cooking and baking during the holidays,” she said. “I really enjoy making all the pies and cakes and all the little chocolates, because I did all the chocolate-covered nuts and chocolate suckers, all that kind of stuff, but unfortunately, the restaurant kind of took over.”

Cross said her staff and her husband have been instrumental in her success.

“They all show up and give 110%,” Paniccia said. “I’m very grateful for them.

“And I couldn’t do it without the support of my loving husband, Ryan Cross, who is there for me day and night.”

Which is how much time it takes to serve lunch, only 4.5 hours, when everything is fresh and made from scratch.