White Castle worker retires after 34 years: never got mad

In 34 years at the Maplewood White Castle Mabel Lewis has seen pay toilets, met her future husband and was late to work only once. Now she’s eaten her last free cheeseburger.

Lewis took care of business, sweeping, mopping, stocking ketchup right up to 2 p.m. on Thursday when her shift ended—her last day before retiring.

She started in 1981 in the original Maplewood White Castle when the menu was just onion rings, White Castles (burgers) and fries. “It was right up by the sidewalk. You could sit out and look at it on stools, and there were pay toilets, and water cost a dime,” she said.

Her first White Castle job was at 12th and Chouteau, “where the projects used to be,” she said, then she was transferred to Maplewood.

Lewis met her future husband at White Castle. “He was a coffee customer. He sat at a booth right there with two other gentlemen every morning. Met him in ‘98 and got married in 2000.”

She said she won’t miss staying up all night and getting up early in the morning—seen some rough stuff too.

“Seen a lot of bar fights. One gentleman had an aneurysm and died right here in the store,” she said. “I won’t miss serving the drunks falling asleep in my drive-through, then you have to call Maplewood (police) to come wake them up because I will not walk to that car,” she said.

Her advice to new employees: “(If they) listen to whoever is training them they’ll make it. Get in here on time. That’s it.” She said she was late only once or twice in 34 years.

The store’s general manager Kathleen Hamm said Lewis sometimes came in two hours early for her shift. She even came in once when it was closed.

“They still owe me a snow day,” Lewis said. “In ‘82 when they had that big storm. Store manager, when he left that night, he said, no one will call in. He got ran off the road four times going home. I got my car stuck. I walked up the hill (Big Bend), get here, the doors are closed. I had to turn around, walk back home. It was locked up but they forgot to call the night people to say they had locked the doors.”

Customer, Barry Williams said it was always a good visit with Lewis behind the counter.
“She’s so good, so efficient, never gets the orders wrong,” he said. “I don’t know how you do it all. There are times when it really becomes a crunch.”

White Castle district manager, Cheryl McBee, agreed. “I have never seen Mabel get mad—always the same,” she said.

Lewis said her plan is to stay home with her husband.

“I thank the good Lord he give me the good health to get here, and give me more so I can enjoy it,” she said.