What do several contractors, a retired FBI agent, a former presidential bodyguard, a couple of business entrepreneurs, a former Fairfax County executive, an 82-year-old World War II veteran, a Safeway employee and a vice president of Morgan Stanley have in common? Arby's fast food restaurant in Great Falls.
They appear completely unconnected. They hail from contrasting backgrounds, and are employed in vastly different fields. But every single one of them — as well as several others — are all members of the unofficial, long-standing, well-loved, politically incorrect, rules of society-snubbing Great Falls Arby's Breakfast Club.
No one can pinpoint exactly when or how the club began — all they know is that at some point or another, and with no premeditated intentions, they each found themselves to be part of the family.
"I've been part of the group for 20 years," said Morris Juncal, 82. "I was here when there wasn't any group at all."
The World War II veteran holds the honor of being the oldest member of the Arby's Breakfast Club. Morris said he tries to make it to the Great Falls Arby's as often as he can, despite the fact that he now lives in Ashburn.
"I used to come five or six days a week," said Juncal, who still owns property in Great Falls. "We talk about everything — religion, politics — everything."
ALTHOUGH no one seems to know the exact date, most members estimate that it was about a decade ago that the Arby's Breakfast Club first came into its "unofficial" being. A.J. Acosta, an employee at the Great Falls Safeway for the last 22 years, said he remembers Ronald Reagan being president at the time.
"It's like a family," said Acosta, whose son is CBS news correspondent Jim Acosta. "We talk about everything."
Every morning, customers would flow in and out of Arby's, grabbing coffee and breakfast before heading into work, or relaxing over newspapers on the weekend. Eventually, the regulars got to gabbing, and before long, realized that they had accidentally formed a social breakfast club of sorts.
A few years after its semi-official inception, the members of the Arby's Breakfast Club started a yearly tradition. On the Thursday morning prior to Thanksgiving, breakfast club members bring in various dishes, laying out a feast on the Arby's tables for members, Arby's employees and random customers to enjoy. Last Thursday, Nov. 16, the group of longtime friends and acquaintances packed into their beloved establishment once again, to dine on ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, jumbo shrimp cocktail, an impressive buffet of desserts, and, of course, coffee — all at 9 a.m.
"They've been doing this every year," said Zoila Rivera, an assistant manager at Arby's who has worked there for the last 14 years. "They are really nice."
NOT ALL of the members show up at Arby's every morning, but at least a few are guaranteed to be there on any given day. Charlie Runyon owns the building complex where Arby's is located, and although he now lives in Wilmington, N.C., he still makes it in whenever he can. Runyon was delighted to have a meeting scheduled in Great Falls on the same day as the club's annual Thanksgiving breakfast.
"We're 'Old and in The Way,'" said Runyon. "That's a very old bluegrass group that Jerry Garcia started … and I think that's kind of what we are, and we're enjoying it."
Former Fairfax County Executive Jay Lambert said that he thinks the diversity of its members is what makes the Breakfast Club so enjoyable.
"I think the important thing is that this group is sort of unique in that we have all walks of life," said Lambert, who lives in Great Falls. "We have retired FBI, doctors, retired CIA, entrepreneurs, carpenters — and we all come together and try to help each other and help other people."
Lambert added that the group is decidedly "anti-snobbery."
"We were originally going to call ourselves the 'Great Falls Yacht and International Polo Society' because neither one of those things are out here," said Lambert with a hearty laugh. "But basically, it's a group of people that get along very well. There are absolutely no restrictions on age, religion or sex."
One of the benefits of having members from "all walks of life" is the regular availability of free advice on a range of subjects and areas of expertise that rivals the offerings of the Internet.
"That blonde woman over there is my stockbroker, and she made me some money," said Morris Juncal, pointing to Paula Michaels, vice president of Morgan Stanley.
Michaels first became acquainted with the Breakfast Club through her husband. He would frequently go to Arby's with their daughter to grab coffee and, not surprisingly, was soon chatting it up with the group.
"He started talking to these guys, and then he started bringing me in," said Michaels. "It's a group of extremely bright people, with opinions that are always fair, and they're very generous with their time and expertise — and there's always a lot of laughter."
AT 51, RETIRED FBI AGENT Peter Ahearn is the "baby" of the group. Ahearn was a regular at Arby's on the weekends who came in to enjoy his newspaper over a few cups of coffee.
"I would hear their banter going on, and I would watch them, and they would see me watching, and so one day they finally said 'grab a cup of coffee and come on over here,' and next thing I know, I'm in the club," said Ahearn.
Ahearn said that he loves the group because it reminds him of the old-time general stores, where men would gather to talk and share "a lot of lies and war stories."
"It provides an interesting perspective on things," said Ahearn of the club.
County employee Bill Rogers — who was at one time a bodyguard to former President George Bush — said that he also enjoys the anything goes nature of the club.
"Nothing is sacred," said Rogers.
Ed Dronenburg said that even the most opposite of political views are debated in good spirit.
"I used to sit over there and all the Republicans would sit over here, so there I was the lone liberal in the corner," said Dronenburg with a smile. "This group is wonderful — everyone is very cordial, you can kid around and nobody gets upset, and they're nice to everyone that comes in."