COFFEE SHOPS: PLENTY OF HOT COFFEE AND GOSSIP; IN EVERY TOWN IS FOUND A GATHERING PLACE FOR CONVERSATION

Plenty of hot coffee, gossip and a second helping of friendship have fueled lengthy discussions at the County Seat Cafe's Truthin' Table in Benton the past 16 years.

The two-length, centrally located table, the longest at the snug County Seat restaurant, is usually occupied by regular customers who mark their day by at least one visit to their version of the truth about Benton and beyond.

They stop off at Wayne and Bernadette Landis' establishment to discuss the day's local and national news and get reacquainted with longtime friends and neighbors.

A sign that is framed, strategically positioned next to the menu, provides patrons with a telling message. It reads "Friendship served here."

"Whatever is on their minds, they'll hash it over here," Wayne Landis said. When a regular customer doesn't show between 8 and 9:30 a.m., someone will ask if the absence of the familiar face is due to an illness.

Landis opened the doors of the restaurant in 1979 after the city received a helping of two feet of snow. "I don't think we've missed a day of opening up since," he said.

"There's usually someone waiting on me to open up at 5:30 a.m.," Wayne said. "It gives you a good feeling to know that people are counting on you to have their daily ritual and say good morning. I've often said I don't own this place to make money; I use it to make friends."

Every city in Southeast Missouri seems to provide a coffee-shop atmosphere. In Cape Girardeau's Sands Pancake House, City Manager J. Ronald Fischer will hook up with regulars like former County Commissioner Gene Huckstep and former Sheriff Norman Copeland to discuss various local and national news items before going to work.

They usually will be joined by George Rouse and E.C. Younghouse, who owns Younghouse Distributing in Cape Girardeau.

"These guys have been coming in here since God started walking around," joked Sands Pancake House owner Orville Thorne. Gossip isn't the only daily commodity at Sands. "I wish I had 10 percent of the business deals that have been struck here," Thorne said.

Orville's brother Jerry, who owns Jers in Jackson and Perryville, welcomes patrons from all walks of life. "They come in at 6 a.m. every morning," Jerry Thorne said. "Most times I'm too busy to join in on the conversation, but every once in a while I'll let them chew me out."

Bill Lewis, who has owned Wimpy's Restaurant for 21 years, thrives on the gossip that warms his dining room. "My wife said I will never retire," Lewis said. "She said if I did I'd miss out on all the gossip."

Southeast Missouri State Boosters like Richard Flentge, Greg and Charlie Brune, Jim Tlapek and others gather to discuss how the teams are doing and whatever the hot topic of the day is. "Lately it's been nude bars," Lewis said.

Jay Santi, who owns Woodland Steakhouse in Marble Hill, said if customers aren't trading tidbits of information on the latest happenings in Bollinger County, they're swapping livestock.

"A lot of business is done here," Santi said. "I try to remember what everybody likes and make them feel like we appreciate them coming back all the time."

Chris Johnston, who owns Frontier Food and Kitchen in Fruitland said he likes to call regular customers by their first name and encourage them to give their opinions on various topics.

"You can learn a lot if you stop and listen to the conversation," Johnston said.

The coffee-shop atmosphere isn't limited to the unique establishments, however. On any given day a cluster of familiar faces can be seen at McDonald's on Broadway, Hardee's on William and Broadway and Burger King on Broadway.

Said one restaurant owner: "It's a great way to start the day and meet some interesting people along the way."