Whistle while you work: Why are the waitresses at Louie's Cafe so friendly and hospitable?

 Louie’s café is a greasy spoon restaurant in the best sense of the word. It has been in business since 1941 and is open until late at night. Located just a block from the campus of Louisiana State University, Louie’s has served comfort food to hungover college students for three-quarters of a century.

My wife and I often patronize Louie’s on weekends. Famous for its hashbrowns and omelets, the cafe offers solid late-morning breakfasts. I like the informal, diner-style ambiance and enjoy watching the bustling cooks who toil at a massive grill behind the lunch counter.

I’ve patronized Louie’s for more than 30 years. In fact, I accepted a job offer at LSU partly because the faculty recruiting team treated me to breakfast at Louie’s, brunch at the Coffee Call, and dinner at Mike Anderson’s seafood restaurant.

I concluded that LSU is in a town that cares about food, and since I care about food, the job was a good fit for me. My Harvard advisor warned me not to start my academic career at LSU, urging me to wait for a better offer. However, I made a good decision by coming to Louisiana, a decision I’ve never regretted.

Among Louie’s many charms are its amiable waitresses, who always bring ice water to my table, vigilantly refill my coffee cup, and exude hospitality and goodwill toward me and every customer in the restaurant.

Why are Louie’s waitresses so cheerful? The service industry is breaking down all over the United States—particularly in restaurants, where the waitstaff are often surly and inattentive, even though they expect a 25 percent tip.

In a town where restaurants are begging for workers, Louie’s waitresses can work just about anywhere they want. I doubt that Louie’s wages are higher than those paid at similar restaurants, yet they choose to work at Louie’s.

 Why?

Perhaps Louie’s managers have cultivated a friendly service culture, and prospective employees want to work there because of that. I don’t know.

I know this: America’s service industry has grown increasingly rude, discourteous, and churlish, and Louie’s is an oasis of hospitality and rustic graciousness.