This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Louis Squires, 71, owner of Magnolia Room Cafeteria in Tucker, Georgia. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I had been a regular customer at the S&S cafeteria in the Atlanta suburbs for years. So, when I heard the 43-year-old institution was closing down, I stepped in.
I knew the staff and didn’t want to see the place disappear. I thought I could rescue it and save the jobs and the food I loved. So, in 2017, I acquired the S&S equipment and moved it into an old dinner theater.
At the time I ran a consulting firm, and before that I’d built my career in retail, working as a buyer and division manager at Macy’s.
Needless to say, I had zero experience running a restaurant, and I quickly realized how little I understood.
I had never managed a team of 30-plus people, and I didn’t know how restaurant equipment worked or how expensive repairs could be.
I don’t even enjoy cooking, but I do know how to eat, and I think that’s what saved me.
The labor cost of repairs on old equipment eats you alive
The early years were an absolute disaster, and we didn’t turn a profit for the first six years. One of the biggest issues was that we were using decades-old equipment that kept failing.
I bought all the old cooking and serving equipment for $24,000 — that included the 50-foot stainless-steel serving line, which would cost six figures on its own.
So, it was a bargain in that respect, but a burden when it came to repairs. Nearly every part of the kitchen — from the convection ovens and steam tables to refrigeration — eventually failed.
The turning point was when we started reinvesting in newer, more reliable equipment. We no longer had massive repair bills and were finally able to start making a profit.
Why I focused on quality over everything
From the beginning, I set one rule: we would not cut corners on food.
Many Southern cafeterias declined because they switched to canned or frozen ingredients to hit lower price points. I chose the opposite approach. From pie crusts to vegetables, Magnolia Room cooks everything from scratch.
One of my favorite dishes is our catfish, which we ship fresh from Mississippi twice a week. When we first opened, we couldn’t get fresh catfish; it was frozen and trucked in. It wasn’t anywhere near the quality and flavor of what we’re serving now. But over the years, we’ve learned to source fresher ingredients, and it makes a difference.
I will always raise the price before I cut the quality, and that decision has shaped everything. It made the business more labor-intensive, but it’s helped us build a reputation for fresh, homemade Southern food, which has brought regular customers back and attracted a new, younger crowd.
Running a cafeteria requires volume. I learned early that without high traffic, the economics don’t work. We now serve up to 1,000 to 1,200 customers on a busy Sunday. Sales are up 18% year over year, and we approached nearly $5 million in annual revenue in 2025.
What made it work
Looking back, there were multiple times when I was very tempted to walk away. What’s kept me in the game is the people who depend on me for their jobs and the community of customers we’ve built.
To anyone looking to start a restaurant, here’s my advice: You’ve got to find your passion for a cuisine and know how it is supposed to taste.
I grew up in North Carolina, and I’ve always loved Southern cooking. I knew how the collard greens were supposed to taste and how I wanted the fried chicken. That was my north star.
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