Franklin Lewis, 74, a retired lawyer living in Beavercreek, was one of the originators of the group almost a decade ago. “There were three of us who began eating out on Fridays, and we invited friends to join us, then everyone started asking their friends; now, we usually have 25-to-30 guys there each week. We started calling ourselves the ROMEO’s about five years ago.
“We’ve moved around several times, but everyone wanted another location, since we’ve got guys from Englewood, Kettering, Centerville, Oakwood, Springboro, all over — so we moved to the Legacy and have stayed there. The food’s good, there’s room for us, there’s plenty of parking and we like the prices.”
Allan Spetter, also 74, suggested the Legacy. “There were only about 10-15 when I joined, and we’d met at the DoubleTree and Anticoli’s, but folks wanted a more central place and we needed more space,” the Oakwood resident said.
“We’ve been happy at the Legacy, and have our favorite waitress, Amy Kindred. She’s wonderful, remembers all of our names and even what we usually eat. We’ve developed a good relationship with her, so we’ve remained loyal.”
A retired Wright State University history professor, Spetter usually arrives right at noon, “and sometimes the table’s already overflowed.”
He observes that, since they sit at one long table, “we’ve developed small groups within the large group, since we can only talk to the people right around us.”
The group ranges in age from their late 60s to mid-80s, and conversations cover a wide range of topics. “We may talk politics, entertainment, local news and personalities,” said Lewis. “We’ve got a good mix of conservatives and liberals, so we get a variety of viewpoints and have learned polite listening.”
One July 11, Lewis’ big news was that pro basketball star LeBron James had decided to return to Cleveland, Lewis’ native city. “A Cleveland friend had called, so I got the story early and announced it, but most of the guys are Bengals and Reds fans, so I’m in the minority.”
The group has no plans to leave the Legacy. “I haven’t heard any complaints. We all like it there, so we aren’t planning another move,” said Lewis.
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