Collection:LSA

Genre: Biography

Place Covered: Lecompte, Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Department of State

Date Issued: 1990-09-14

Duration: 00:31:12

Subjects: Lecompte, Rapides Parish, Louisiana | Lea's Lunchroom | Johnson, Georgia "Georgie" Grayson, 1911-2003 | Johnson, Pryor "Lea" Sr., 1896-1995 | Cheneyville, Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Contributors:

• Delgado, Bill Photographer
• Johnson, Lea Speaker

Interview with Lea Johnson of Lea's Lunchroom in Lecompte, Louisiana. He talk about: starting his business in 1928 before the Great Depression; getting out of the auto business and into the café business; hiring a school girl, Miss Georgia, to make his pies; only making two pies a week because nobody had any money at the time; making his first pie, coconut cream, and that's his favorite; serving special lunches, but without a menu because it was too slow; hiring Miss Georgia when she was 17, and paying her $4.00 a week in 1928 to run the café; getting tired of paying Miss Georgia $4.00 a week, so he married her; growing up on a farm in Cheneyville and riding the Southern Pacific railroad to Alexandria with his twin brother; having regular customers and people from all over stop in to see him; having a choice of 3 meats; serving free coffee after dinner; serving milk in frozen glasses, buttermilk and sweet milk; having a different special every day; having baked turkey, roast beef, baked chicken, fried chicken, and baked ham on Sunday. The interview is followed by footage of Johnson talking to customers and interviews with customers on what they had for lunch.