The Breakfast Clubs

 Every village, town, city, burg and borough in this country has a Breakfast Club.  A group, who meet every morning for coffee, conversation and food.

While the excuse to gather together is for breakfast, the real reason is to talk about the day, catch up on the latest gossip, explore the deeper meaning of things and to act as the community bulletin board.

These groups, usually men – although more recently women have joined –  meet wherever there is a place to sit, food to eat – coffee to drink – and a place that will tolerate them.

From the beginning in Colonial America, to the present day, these breakfast clubs were informal community meetings and a major force in their communities to talk about the subject of the day.  Whether it be the government and the need for new taxes, the weather and its impact on the crops, or the need for a new school or sidewalks in the neighborhood, these breakfast clubs were a way to gauge public opinion, and ascertain where the community stood on the events of the day.

Lacey has had its breakfast clubs.  They’ve met at the Flavor Nook, Pat’s, the Chuckwagon, Sambos, Hawks Prairie, Dennys and Shari’s. The roster of attendees is the beating heart of the city.

But, now, they’ve been sidelined in the cause of a greater community good – – the Pandemic.  For several months now, these groups have been unable to meet and these public meeting places have been closed down.

It’s true, you can continue to meet on-line.  A few have attempted Zoom meetings and other forms of technology to keep in touch.  But it doesn’t have the punch of in-person communications.

Open the restaurants and coffee shops.  They are the public meeting houses of America – and America can’t long function without them.