It’s not complaints about the food that are plaguing Jerry’s Cafeteria. The coconut cream pie, twice-baked potatoes, fried chicken, Jell-O salad and breaded pork shops are popular items at the Granite City dining spot.
The problem is the struggling steel industry. When the Granity City Works was operating at a steady pace, Jerry’s had a regular crowd from the 2,000 mill workers and another 4,000 people who worked in jobs related to the mill.
When the mill was idled, business dwindled for Jerry’s as well, a move played out for many small businesses that depend on major industry for their livelihood.
Though the steel mill is being readied to resume production, Jerry Roderick, owner of his namesake cafeteria, frets about how long he can hold on till he may get a new stream of customers.
How does the Weatherbird stomach the bad economic news?
- Hard luck cafe (45%, 13 Votes)
- Unemployment over easy (21%, 6 Votes)
- Blues-plate special (17%, 5 Votes)
- Where’s my meal ticket (10%, 3 Votes)
- Hold the business (7%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 29
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Ron is in charge of the main news sections of the Sunday Post-Dispatch and supervises newsroom production of the daily paper several nights a week. He has worked at newspapers since 1976 as a reporter, copy editor, layout editor, deputy sports editor and news editor. He has been at the Post-Dispatch since 2006. 
Fact of the matter is, this economy just, well it’s bad. For those of us in IT, specifically mainframe developers, seeing people dump money on highway projects and stuff like that will not put us back to work. Fact of the matter is we may have to go somewhere else and compete with the hundreds out of work there too. Sometimes feels like there is no hope for a tomorrow.