If you're a 3-D Eats fan, you'll love what's coming to their newest sit-down restaurant

The 3-D Eats & Tea empire is continuing to grow with a sit-down restaurant slated to open this summer in the former Cactus Flower Café West building at 6881 W. U.S. Highway 98.

Sean DeSmet will be bringing all the favorite, elevated fast foods he has built his following on, with the same affordable prices. This includes fan-favorites like $3 burger sliders, barbecue pulled pork melt, pickle-brined “chickle" chicken tenders and his homemade 3-D sweet tea slush.

“We’re a blue-collar company,” DeSmet said.

The new space, which will be able to seat up to 200 people, will be pulling in new ideas from DeSmet. His vision for this location is “North Meats South” and will incorporate Southern favorites and items from his native Chicago.

When he moved to an Alabama town of 100 people years ago, he realized just how much he missed the foods he grew up on.

“I need the Chicago dog, I need the cheesesteak, I need the pizza,” DeSmet said.

This means his offerings will range from Chicago hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches on the daily menu, to Southern family-styled dinners available on weekends. Think sharable platters of fried chicken, beef tips and gravy, and meatloaf available to order in family sizes, along with various country sides.

“I haven’t officially nailed down the menus, but that’s my vision,” DeSmet said.

Due to the restaurant’s expansive size, customers will have the option to either order food quickly from a kiosk or have a server in a more traditional sit-down dining setting. DeSmet said the difference comes down whether you have four minutes to eat your meal, or 12 minutes.

Another major change will be the addition of alcohol to the menu, which means your favorite sweet tea will soon be offered "spiked." He plans to play around with different variations, like a vodka lemonade and bourbon infused sweet tea.

He has learned to make magic out of former fast food chains, opening restaurants in a spaces including a former Dairy Queen, a Burger King and now a Checker’s. The Cactus Flower was different though, as it already came equipped with nice booths and a full bar.

“I’ve always had someone else’s scraps,” DeSmet said. “I’ve never had this before.”

With the larger space comes the need for more employees. DeSmet said he does not want to raise the prices on his menu, so he found an interesting way to supplement his employees with a little extra income.

“How can I pay my people?” DeSmet said he remembers asking.

DeSmet has created a live stream from the kitchen providing customers a view of the cooking process and the ability to donate tips to the staff. The page, Eat In 3-D on YouTube, is also monetized with ads, with proceeds going toward his 3D Eats team.

Since he started streaming under a month ago, he has been able to generate about $1,500. Not only does the livestream provide entertainment to viewers, but also holds his team accountable to quality standards since the footage is raw and unedited.

“This is a documentary, not a tutorial,” DeSmet teased.

He plans to continue this at all of his locations.

For more real-time updates and information, follow the 3D Eats & Tea Pensacola Facebook page.

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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: 3-D Eats & Tea adds new sit-down location in former Cactus Flower Cafe