See you next week!
Some people judge towns by their population. Others judge them by amenities such as parks
and playgrounds. Many consider school systems and tax policies. I judge towns by the quality
and longevity of their small independent diners and cafes. For 94 years, the Coney Island
Cafe has defined my hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Arthur Focac is the original
owner, immigrated here from Greece in 1923. He got his start by sowing fruit from a push
cart parked under a large shade tree near the railroad tracks on Main Street. After
a few years, he leased the land under the tree and built an open front fruit stand.
A few years later, he turned the fruit stand into a short order cafe that served hamburgers,
hot dogs, homemade curly fries and breakfast. Greek immigrants like Arthur were the early
pioneers of the restaurant business in Mississippi. They were our culinary forefathers. In 94
years, only three men have run the Coney Island Cafe. It's the definition of a true
family run operation. Arthur turned the business over to his son, also a Greek immigrant, who
everyone called junior, and his son, Billy, took over in 1984. Three generations, approaching
a century of commitment, hard work, dedication and service. There's been a member of the
Focac family man in the grill at the Coney Island Cafe since Calvin Coolidge was in
the White House. Billy hadn't missed a day of work since he took over the business.
At 1, 33 years, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. He once scheduled surgery on Friday afternoon
so he could be back to work on Monday. He was.
Restaurants have souls. They define a town and tell the story of that place and its people.
Some restaurants take on the personality of their owner. Some take on the collective personality
of the staff. Still others adopt the characteristics of their customers or the town itself. The
Coney Island Cafe is a little bit of all that, wrapped up in a small dining room filled with
stools, booths and memories. The Coney probably won't ever win a James Beard
award or get special recognition in any of the national culinary trades, but it's done
so much more. It's fed all of the people of the town. Black, white, young, old, rich,
poor, local, tourist for almost 100 years. A feat like that can be measured by ribbons
and trophies or accolades. The Coney Island Cafe has survived a world war, a great depression
and dozens of recessions. It was there in the early days when downtown Hattiesburg grew
and thrived. It never wavered when those businesses moved away to open shiny new stores and sprawling
malls and strip centers. It helped firm during the white flight of the 1980s and was still
standing when downtown's renewal and renaissance began in the late 1990s. I ate at the Coney
Island Cafe as a kid. My father brought me here. His father brought him here. I bring
my son here. I hope he'll do the same. The Coney Island Cafe is a survivor.
