In September Legacy Hills Grille opened in Sun City and is now one of a handful of restaurants and cafes in the growing community.
Co-owners and Sun City residents Jim Bickle and his daughter Sharon Locke have been in the restaurant business for years—Bickle said he originally worked in the computer industry, though he decided to invest in restaurants and owned a handful in New Orleans, Dallas, and Athens, Texas. Locke also owned a bakery and restaurant in Athens and she said she has worked in the past waiting tables, bartending, managing and cooking.
Bickle said the restaurant’s location on Del Webb Boulevard was previously a restaurant until about 2005, when the Sun City Community Association began using the site as meeting space. However, with more residents moving to Sun City, Bickle said the association wanted another restaurant in the community and reached out to his brother to launch Legacy Hills.
Bickle also reached out to Locke, who he said has managed restaurants for him in the past. At the time Locke said she was also looking to expand her bakery but was only seeing an additional few customers coming by each year. She decided to make the move to Sun City as the chef for Legacy Hills because of the thriving community.
“It was an opportunity for growth,” she said. “And in the long run, I thought it was a better deal for my future.”
Throughout her life Locke has trained to cook different types of cuisines, several of which are offered at the restaurant, including American, Italian and Cajun.
She said some of the most popular American dishes include chicken-fried steak ($10.95), lime pepper grilled shrimp ($13.95) and burgers. On the Italian side of the menu, the restaurant offers chicken marsala ($13.95), lasagna ($10.95), spaghetti with meat sauce ($9.95) and fettuccine alfredo ($10.95). For Cajun dishes, it offers crawfish etouffee ($12.95), shrimp creole ($12.95) and seafood gumbo ($5.95).
Bickle said they try to make as much as possible from scratch and use food that is as fresh as possible.
“We would love to use fresh everything,” he said.
The restaurant also started catering in January, Locke said. She said she has been running the catering out of the restaurant kitchen and has been booking events in Sun City months in advance.
A taste of the menu
Legacy Hills co-owner Sharon Locke said the restaurant’s burgers—Sharon’s Serenity Burger ($9.95), the caramelized onion and gorgonzola burger ($9.95), and the Legacy Hills Old Fashion Burger ($8.45)—are top sellers.
For dessert, Legacy Hills Grille offers key lime or creamy lemon pie ($5.45), white chocolate bread pudding ($6.45) and a tuxedo cake ($6.45).
