Free Queenie's Cafe by SUE FINEMAN

people as a steak house.”
    “That’s right. Now you’re thinking like a businesswoman. Opening just any restaurant won’t work. You have to consider what’s in the area. What do the customers want? What can they afford to pay? Are there other restaurants in the area? What do they serve? How are their prices? What’s their business like?”
    “I see what you mean. There’s no other place to eat in Kingston except the pizza place, so I have no real competition.”
    “As long as you keep your prices affordable, the service good, and the food decent, you can’t help but make a profit.”
    Laura tinkered with the salt and pepper shakers. “Queenie never did very well, but I think that’s because nobody liked her.”
    If Queenie’s surly personality was the reason the café didn’t do well before, Laura couldn’t help but bring in more business. A friendly atmosphere impressed customers almost as much as cleanliness and the quality of the food.
    “Once you get established, you’ll have people coming in on a regular basis. People won’t want to drive twenty or thirty minutes to find a place to eat when Queenie’s is nearby.”
    Laura grew quiet. She probably didn’t know the first thing about the principles of economics, but she had good instincts. This young woman had a lot on the ball. With a little help, she could build a very successful business.
    Chubby brought a tray loaded with food. Laura’s eyes grew. “That can’t all be for us.”
    “Aw, c’mon,” said Chubby. “I want you to taste everything.” Chubby leaned down close to Laura. “Don’t tell anyone, but the sauce is Luke’s mother’s recipe.”
    Her eyes sparkled. “Is that right? Is it good?”
    “I wouldn’t serve it if it wasn’t good.”
    “How long have you been in business?”
    “Six months. Can you believe it? If we get any busier, we’ll have to add on.”
    Someone called, “Chubby, we need you in the kitchen.”
    He grinned and wiped his hands on his apron. “I’m being summoned. Enjoy your meal.”
    Laura tasted the barbecue beans. “Mmm, this is good. I love this place.”
    “Barbecue is good, but it’s like pizza. People don’t want pizza all the time. They don’t want barbecue all the time, either.”
    “Queenie’s offers a variety,” said Laura, licking her fingers. “This stuff is messy.”
    Luke smiled and picked up a rib. “Makes it taste better.”
    She finished her rib before asking, “How much of this place do you own?”
    “A big piece. All Chubby had was the building and an idea.”
    “Like Queenie’s?”
    “More like the motel. Queenie’s doesn’t need the kind of work this place did. We completely redid the interior. It was too formal, too stuffy.”
    Luke was incredibly proud of his restaurants. He’d like to think it was his perception and expert business skill that made them successful, although his partners added hard work and enthusiasm to the mix. Without exception, they were all doing well.
    They ate quietly for several minutes before she asked, “Who makes the decisions here?”
    “Chubby makes the day to day decisions. We work out the big issues together.”
    She swallowed a bite of beans before asking, “What happens when you don’t agree?”
    “We don’t make any major changes unless we agree.”
    She didn’t say anything, but he knew what she was thinking. She didn’t want anyone telling her what to do. He couldn’t blame her for that, but he didn’t want a part of her business without having a say in major decisions, like that sunroom addition she talked about. “There has to be a level of understanding and cooperation or a partnership won’t work. No matter how profitable Queenie’s is, I don’t want a part of it without having something to say about major expenditures. Look at it this way, Laura. If Chubby decided he wanted to change the menu, go with something else entirely, get rid of the juke box, and require reservations, do you think this place would be