Their faith is what helped convince the retired couple that buying the Schlotzky’s Deli on Hwy. 64, where they had been customers for the last three years, was the right thing to do.

The couple heard the business might close and the employees would be out of jobs. So they used their savings to get a business loan. “Our children don’t need it. We thought we could do some good in the world,” Joyce Willis said. “We’re getting up in age. We decided we were just going to leap out in faith with God.”

The Willises have been franchise owners since February. These days Joyce, 75, is helping to serve the very customers she sat near as she ate her fiesta chicken sandwich each day.

And Jim, 78, is hands-on too, working with the finances and helping to repair and spiff up the place — quite a different calling from his days on a Navy submarine.

No one is more thankful than longtime manager Randy Ellis, who had gotten to know the couple during their regular lunches at the deli.

Ellis, a Schlotsky’s employee for nine years, says the Willises have been a literal godsend to the employees.

They eventually want to turn the business over to Ellis — the self-described “big old teddy bear who works up front.”

“We see a lot of potential in him,” Joyce said.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own restaurant,” said the 45-year-old Ellis, who graduated some 30 years ago from Apex High School.

Ellis has a 19-year-old son, Josh, who has cystic fibrosis and works at the deli. Sometimes Josh needs to be hospitalized for stretches at a time because of his health.

“I always wanted a place for him to work at, so this is my thing,” Ellis said. “[The Willises are] helping me to purchase the business.”

Since coming out of retirement, the new franchise owners have taken an interest not only in the profits but also in the employees. They don’t take a dime for their work. “She’s like a grandmother watching out for all her grandchildren,” Ellis said.

In these tough economic times, Joyce does feel like she may have saved some jobs. But she doesn’t want any more credit than that.

Oh, she’s learned to cut the lettuce and the lemons properly, and put the wraps on plates “real fast.” And she keeps the kitchen and dining area spotless. But she said it’s the employees who get the real credit.

“I love the young folks here,” Joyce said. “All they needed was a little direction. I tell them every day how important they are to me.”

Joyce said she’s noticed a change in attitude among her employees, too.

They seem happier, often taking the initiative on jobs instead of waiting for directions.

Joyce said that is what teamwork is all about: “Do your share, do what’s right, and help each other.”