I looked around for a hostess; there was none. Then I began to understand system; you waited in line with your party, and when someone got up from one of these booths, you just went and sat down. Period.

The waitress appeared at our table almost instantaneously, cleared off previous diners' plates, wiped table, and took our drink orders. Actually, what she said was, "Tea?" And you're an idiot if you order anything else. It's important to note here that if you order tea anywhere in Deep South, it is understood that it comes iced and sweetened. If you want it any other way, you'd better tell them that.

Time to check out menu. It was at this time I realized that City Cafe operates five days a week only - Monday through Friday. The lunch menu consisted of your choice of entree and/or vegetables which you chose from list for that particular day of week. The price of meal was determined by number of vegetables and entrees you chose.

This was Tuesday; my choices included fried green tomatoes. Who was I to pass this up? Beef tips with rice and steamed squash rounded out my meal, but I could just as easily have chosen from a dozen other tempting selections. It was tough to pass up fried okra and steamed cabbage (my daughter chose cabbage along with chicken-fried steak), but I was pleased with my meal. Dinner rolls and cornbread were, of course, provided as well.

And tea? Try drinking it to bottom of glass - won't happen at City Cafe. It's another person's job to make sure of that.

The price for both our meals? I spent $10.75 - but $3.00 of that was a tip. No kidding. She and I had dined at a well-known restaurant chain night before and tip for that meal was same as price of City Cafe meal itself.

Guess which one I enjoyed most?

Frequently asked questions. In fact, you may want to run a regular Q & A column in each edition of your newsletter.

How-tos are must-reads. Is there something you can do to explain steps pertaining to your product or service. What can customers do with your product or service?

Coupons and special offers. Always include incentives for being a newsletter reader. Show readers why they should come in with special offers.

New customer welcomes. By welcoming new customers, you show readers your business is growing. Also, new customers who are recognized feel like they've made a good decision in choosing your business.

Profile an employee. Newsletters are fabulous internal morale boosters, plus customers will appreciate getting to know someone they're dealing with (or who operates behind scenes).

Special events. Special events are great for content both before and after. Make sure to include plenty of photos and quotes in piece written after event.

Before and after. Makeovers are always popular, whether you make over people or houses or closets. Pictures make these pieces especially effective, so get out camera.

By deciding to write a specific type of article, you should find yourself back on track and full of ideas once again. Happy writing!