On Feb. 12 a new restaurant opened its doors in Preston at the former New York Deli location. Sydney’s held a ribbon cutting and soft opening that day and their Grand Opening on Feb. 13 just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Mayor Keller welcomed Sydney’s to town in his remarks at the ribbon cutting and Denise Hardy expressed her appreciation for the support of the community in making it possible.
Sydney’s comes to Preston from Mantua where Joe and Denise Hardy started with a convenience store and campground.
“We did pretty good in the summer but in the winter months we were starving,” said Denise Hardy. “We started making sandwiches and delivering them to the fisherman and then we made a fisherman’s menu. We soon added burgers, pizza, etc. It was all out of necessity to try to make the business in Utah profitable during the winter months.”
With the food becoming more popular than the groceries, the couple removed the groceries and opened Sydney’s Place three years ago.
“I did not ever dream of owning a restaurant, it just turned into one,” said Hardy.
Sydney’s is named for Denise Hardy’s mother who passed away before the restaurant opened. It is also Denise’s first name and the name of their daughter.
The Hardy’s are from Utah but moved to Idaho 19 years ago due to better service programs for their autistic youngest son. They lived in Thatcher until 2023 when they moved to Preston and have been driving to Mantua for the past eight years to run their business.
The restaurant built a great following while in Mantua from as far away as Salt Lake City to the south and Pocatello to the north. It was standing room only on weekends but weekdays were pretty quiet forcing Sydney’s to shorten their hours and ultimately, they planned to close.
When Hardy heard the New York Deli location was becoming available, she decided to look into it. “I called to find out about the building and everything just fell into place,” said Hardy who praised the work of Bailey Beckstead in the venture. “A special thanks to the Beckstead family for making it possible for us to be here. Especially Bailey, he has gone above and beyond to help us out!”
The Hardy’s brought three employees from Mantua, Head Cook, Hector Juarez, Manager, Daniel Guglietti and Assistant Manager, Paige Hardy. They also added 10 new employees and are grateful for the patience they have experienced from patrons as they train and work out the kinks in their opening weeks.
“I am very grateful for the support that the town has given us,” said Hardy. “We are very excited to introduce our menu and ourselves to the town of Preston. We want to be an asset to the community and be a place that Preston will be proud of. We feel welcome and we are ready to serve you.”
Sydney’s offers patrons a sit down homestyle meal in a vintage country setting which displays some of Hardy’s antique barbed wire collection.
“I am not a chef, I am just a home cook,” said Hardy who uses many family recipes. “I feel that what we have to offer is something that Preston needs. Homestyle cooking on steroids. I consider Sydney’s a destination restaurant. Good food, good service and a good atmosphere. I want people to come here and feel like they would if I invited them into my home.”
Indeed, Denise can be found making the rounds at tables ensuring patrons are satisfied and visiting with everyone along the way. Sydney’s has been packed with 30 minute wait times most nights since opening. Though some of that is curiosity about a new dining option, many waiting to be seated said it was their second or even third time around. Their hours are 11-8 Tuesday through Saturday so stop in and give them a try.
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