It's a Wonderful Life

Hubs took me out to breakfast this morning.  I chose The Carolina Lunch (that is only open for breakfast).  As you can see, this is the quintessential small town cafe where everybody knows everybody's name, rank, and serial number.  As we walked in the  owner, Warren Morrell, called out, "Good Morning, Curtis Chapman!"

 

The coffee arrived as soon as we took a seat.  "Talk to me," cackled the waitress, when Hubs told her we were ready to order.

 

 

 Warren Morrell owner operator of the Carolina Lunch.  A player on the 1957 Red Fox Football team along with my sweet husband.

 If you can read these prices, your eyes might pop out.....$2.50 for an egg fixed the way you like it, with grits and a half a loaf of buttered toast.   Hubs has been off carbs for so long he ate all the toast and licked the plate.  I just shook my head.  He loves him some, restaurant toast!

 During the ten or so minutes it took to get our order I interviewed Warren for this blog.  I had to get a picture of this customer whose shirt reads "Hog breath is better than no breath at all!"
(I swear that is one of Hub's quotes.

Warren told me he and his wife, Jeanette, have run the Luncheonette (how 1950's is that word?) for the past 24 years.  They took over from her Aunt and Uncle Robert and Mamie Galloway who ran it for 18 years.  Before that Jim Griffin ran it.  Warren doesn't know who first started the cafe.  He did tell me that up until 1950, Pop Cannerella had an open air market on that block of the city. 

First, Pop built a Fish Market, then two more buildings and the Economy Drugstore was built on the corner.   The cornerstone on that building read 1953.

 As soon as their parents got up to pay, the two little boys at the table across from us headed over to the shelf with the Santas by the front window.  Quick as a wink, they had all the mechanical Santas singing and dancing and headed for Warren to refill the shark that was suppose to hold candy.  I think they'd been there before.

The dad stopped to visit with another table and catch up on the news with them.  Working out of town now, not able to get any thing around here.

For a grand total of $8.55 (plus tip) we got a great breakfast, a hometown welcome, and a history lesson.

Oh, and we got to catch up with my children's first grade teacher and her husband.


And off we went to do some local shopping so that the Carolina Lunches of our small town can stay in business!