A school patrol officer, Vietnam veteran and DuPont retiree were total strangers with nothing in common other than a love of coffee and biscuits when they first met.
As they came in for breakfast each morning at the Highway 58 Krystal, they'd recognize each other's faces and politely nod or say hello.
"Within a few weeks, we started sitting near each other, then started talking and sitting together," says Alma Carter, the school patrol officer. "We started three years ago with a group of about 12. We'd tell our friends about the group and we'd invite other people we saw regularly in the Krystal to join us, and now we have nearly 30.
"On a typical morning, about 10 to 12 will be here. It's always different."
Over three years, these senior adults have formed fast friendships over their fast food. They call themselves the Krystal Birthday Club because recognizing and celebrating birthdays was their first organized project after several months of breakfasting together.
"I was the first because I have a January birthday," says Carter. "On your birthday, everyone chips in $5 each and the birthday person gets it. That first year I even got money from others sitting around in the Krystal because some people recognized me from school patrol."
Not everyone in the Birthday Club knows everyone else's names - some are just called "Big Mike," "Strong" or "Hunter" - but they know their backstories, their children's names, which sports teams they root for. The seniors are quick to point out they have a Purple Heart recipient in their midst: Clyde Smith, an Army paratrooper who served in the Vietnam War and is now retired from BellSouth/AT&T.
And, while they may be retired, they are a long way from slowing down.
They range in age from 50 to 88-year-old Larry Poole, a World War II veteran who does construction work. Joe Smith Sr., 83, still drives himself to the morning breakfasts and convinced his son, Joe Jr., to join him six months ago.
Joe Seay is retired from DuPont but runs his own lawn service company. The Rev. John Paris, who suggested the birthday cash pot, recently started a Saturday Bible study for the group at Washington Hills Rec Center.
"What I enjoy is it's more like family," says Birthday Club member Tina Lindsay, a retired information analyst from Erlanger.
"When you retire, you find yourself sitting at home. I'm not the type to do that," she says. "We never talk about problems here; we try to lift each other up. We have fun. They send cards if you're sick."
And there's an extra, non-Krystal benefit.
"If I have anything around the house that needs fixing, all I have to do is mention it because we've got all these men to help fix it," Lindsay adds.
Socialization is important to warding off dementia in aging adults, according to AARP. In a four-year study of 2,249 California women published in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers found that older women who maintain large social networks reduce their risk of dementia and either delay or prevent cognitive impairment.
A 2008 Harvard School of Public Health study also found that elderly people who engage in many social contacts have the slowest rate of memory decline. "Strong social ties, through friends, family and community groups, can preserve our brain health as we age," the report stated.
Breakfast Club members start trickling into Krystal at 9 a.m., and it's not uncommon for them to still be there at noon. The restaurant staff greets them by name. Krystal cook Courtney Hyter even remembers all their orders, so their food is cooked and ready for pickup when club members start arriving.
"I inherited a great bunch of customers," says Highway 58 Krystal Manager Trella Neal, who transferred to the store two years ago. "When I came they welcomed me into their group, made me a member, helped me through some rough days. If other customers were rude, they were always encouraging me."
Neal's morning regulars are so familiar with the restaurant's routine, she calls them her security team.
"If I'm not here, they will tell me if they see something going on that's unusual," she laughs.
Three months ago, the Birthday Club decided to get matching shirts - embroidered with the red Krystal logo, of course. Seay called Krystal headquarters and got permission to make the shirts with the Krystal name, took orders and got them made at All-Star Embroidery. In a show of solidarity, Neal got permission from her supervisor to wear one of the club shirts on occasion in place of the franchise uniform.
"Other Krystals may have a few regulars, but nothing like my group," says Neal. "I am blessed to have them."
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.