Tim and Harriett Williams have been in the catering business around here for more than 10 years, dreaming of the day when they could open a restaurant.

So with the economy turning south, many might think now wouldn't be a good time to start a restaurant. But the Williams weren't deterred.

Instead, Tim said he thought it was the perfect opportunity to share their faith through food.

"Our bottom line is, we want to invest in people ... to give people opportunity for employment," Tim said. "It is not only another restaurant in Gainesville; we do use it as a ministry."

Having faith during uncertain times is something that drives some area businesses, ones that are quick to show their faith in God as a tenant of their daily workings.

For the Williams and their restaurant venture - The Olive Branch in Gainesville - the blessings continued as they formed their plan for the restaurant.

At the time the Williams' were realizing their dream, a chef became available in the area: Michael Hunt.

"We are benefitting from this economy ... our executive chef is one a year ago we wouldn't have been able to touch financially," Tim said. "From an unfortunate event we received a blessing from it."

Hunt, a trained chef, had been the owner of Rudolph's Restaurant - which closed in January - on Green Street in Gainesville.

"When Tim and I met each other, we were sort of feeling each other out and we did a lot of praying," Hunt said. "We put it together pretty quick once we decided to move forward.

"I was really praying about where God wanted me to be, not where I wanted to be. I was afraid I was going to wind up back in Dunwoody, Alpharetta or Buckhead and making that commute ... that is a lot of time away from the family. It felt like a God thing, that God had put us together."

Wanda Cantrell, owner of Victory Paper Co. Inc., also said she believes God has a way of making things work out.

"I show my faith in everything that I do - my church, my job, even when I go grocery shopping - so my faith is everywhere," said Cantrell, who has owned her janitorial supply store for nine years. "When I go grocery shopping, my phone rings and it's got a Christian tone, I sing through the grocery store and then I witness to people.

"With me having a business like this, there are not many places where you can come in and talk about Jesus, and so my heart is not only to do my work job that supports my home, but to do the work of the Lord at the same time."

And even in tough economic times, Cantrell said her business is doing fine and she doesn't worry.

"My faith is in the Lord and every customer he brings in the door is a blessing to me," said Cantrell, a member at Free Chapel. "I just trust him with the business. ... Gods owns it, he is in control of all of it. If I'm in his hands, I don't have to worry about it."

At The Olive Branch, Tim said he lets God take care of all the worrying so he can help others, like his employees. Not all the employees are Christian but they are aware of how the Williams' run their business.

"One thing that we think that we have been given by God is a gift of servant hood," Harriett said. "That is the main thing we are trying to portray in our catering as well as in the restaurant. ... We want to be a servant to them."

Tim added, "We actually work guys on a three-month basis, and if they finish the program we will give them an opportunity to come and work for us. Our vision is to hire more of the guys from the ministry."

Outside of their restaurant, the Williams are involved in ministry in the Gainesville area, as well as in their church in Mount Airy.

"Harriett and I, we founded our own ministry and it's called Taking it to the Street," Tim said. "We go once a month to apartment complexes or trailer parks, and because of the resources God has given us through the catering business, we have tents, we have moon walks, we have cotton candy machines. We'll go in and set up a carnival. After the community comes out and fellowships with us and gets to know us, then I will present the gospel through art."

But at the restaurant, not everything is exactly done by the good book, some may say.

"We all have our own convictions ... and I'm sure some of our friends frown because we let people bring in their own wine," said Tim, who will soon feature the live entertainment of local music legend Melvin Banks. "If they choose to have wine with dinner they can bring it in. I think you need a glass of wine for the presentation of dinner that you are going to get here."

Hunt said he was concerned about not having a liquor license at first, but then he became OK with the idea.

"I thought at the beginning without the alcohol license that could be a deterrent, but the more I got to thinking about it, especially the way the economy is, that might be a big perk for people," he said. "Because they are bringing their own bottle of wine they are saving maybe $15 a person when they get the bill."

"It doesn't matter ... if God wants you to succeed, it's going to work."