It's a quarter until noon at S&S Cafeteria on Walton Way. A steady stream of lunchtime customers shuffles down the aisle, picking up fried chicken, corn on the cob and potatoes in the cafeteria-style lane.

In some ways, it's reminiscent of high school - but with much better food and a much friendlier staff.

It's the regulars that have kept Howard Roary at S&S, waiting tables for a half-century.

"I just enjoy the public," said the 70-year-old, who is fit enough to ride his bike four miles a day.

He's been working for the Macon-based S&S chain, which opened more than 70 years ago, since 1957. He was transferred to the Augusta location two years later. The Augusta restaurant opened in 1942 on Broad Street and moved to its present location on Walton Way in 1968.

Throughout the years, Mr. Roary has gotten to know his customers' children and watch them grow up to bring their own kids back.

What's the secret to being a waiter since Eisenhower was in office?

"You've gotta have patience," he said.

But while Mr. Roary's half-century at S&S might seem strange in an industry that can see high turnover, he's not alone at the family-oriented restaurant.

Carlene McKie, a pastry chef, has worked at S&S for nearly 37 years.

She enjoys cooking, though she doesn't pick up a pan at home, and said the job is comfortable.

"A lot of people who quit, they walk right back in and want their job back," she said jokingly.

That's because the chain's corporate executives aren't the typical suits, said Mike Wade, the 42-year-old manager of the Augusta store. He started with S&S at age 13 as a dishwasher at the now-closed Jacksonville, Fla., location, and many of his family members also worked for S&S.

Mr. Wade said the owners of the 10-unit chain know the names and histories of their employees and even make it to funerals for employees' family members.

At first, 29-year-old waiter Robert Lee, who has worked at the cafeteria for two years, couldn't believe there were waiters and cooks who had been there longer than he had been alive.

"When I got in here, I understood," he said.

He said he hopes to one day start a lawn-care business, but for now, he is happy to be working at S&S rather than other restaurants.

"It's more like family than customers," he said, stopping to talk between helping customers with trays and refilling drinks.

With 41 years' experience, Elizabeth Fulcher, who handles most of the restaurant's paperwork but can cover as a waitress or cashier if needed, said she has stayed because she finds her job interesting, which is vital to keeping it for so long.

"I'll stick with this until I win a million dollars," she said with a laugh.