There aren’t any guidelines or agendas. Just laughter and fellowship.
Jan Trabb smiles throughout a gathering of the JULIETTE’s (Just Us Ladies Imbibing Every Tuesday) supper membership at Park Springs retirement group in Stone Mountain on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
By Laura Berrios – For the AJC
2 hours in the past
Ed Bellair of West Cobb doesn’t thoughts being referred to as a retired outdated man, particularly on Tuesday mornings. That’s when he joins a bunch of buddies for breakfast.
They name themselves ROMEO — Retired Old Men Eating Out — and their counterparts is JULIET — usually dubbed Just Us Ladies Into Eating Together. These loosely shaped eating golf equipment for retirees haven’t any guidelines, agendas or attendance necessities. Just meals, fellowship and a standing invitation to indicate up hungry.
Women collect for a gathering of the JULIET’s (Just Us Ladies Into Indulging in Eating Together) dinner membership at Park Springs retirement group in Stone Mountain on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
These weekly eating dates do greater than fulfill an urge for food. For many retirees, they assist stave off loneliness or a lingering sense of purposelessness after a productive profession.
“It fills in for the usual get up and go to work, meet people, then go home. It helps to keep you from feeling old,” mentioned Bellair, a member of the Marietta ROMEO Club.
Experts say that sort of common connection will be vital. The significance of seniors gathering with others for mealtime can’t be overstated, mentioned Tim Knight, govt director of Training and Organizational Development at Isakson Living senior dwelling communities.
Social isolation and loneliness are widespread and might have severe impacts on well being, well-being and society, based on a 2025 report from the World Health Organization.
Knight mentioned sharing a meal is significant for social interplay and constructing relationships. Even higher, he added, these golf equipment give seniors one thing to stay up for.
“You’re not as bored. You’re thinking about what you’re going to say, you’re engaged. I love that,” he mentioned.
Women collect for a gathering of the JULIETTE’s (Just Us Ladies Imbibing Every Tuesday) supper membership at Park Springs retirement group in Stone Mountain on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
Members of the Marietta ROMEO Club share an curiosity in traditional vehicles. Each Tuesday, the group meets for breakfast on the Marietta Diner, usually filling the car parking zone with their vintage autos.
This kind of group appeals to Bellair, who drives a restored 1968 Pontiac GTO convertible.
“We’re just old guys interested in yakking and talking about old cars in general. That’s what we do,” mentioned the 82-year-old.
Bellair additionally retains the group related past the desk. Each Wednesday, he sends a e-newsletter to the roughly 800 individuals who have attended not less than one ROMEO gathering. And for many who can’t make the common Tuesday breakfast, there’s another choice on Wednesday’s at Big Doug’s Place in Paulding County. Bellair attends each.
Park Springs ROMEO Club gathers for dinner every Tuesday and has lunch at a restaurant as soon as a month. The membership is a strategy to construct friendships inside the senior dwelling group in Stone Mountain. (Photo courtesy of Cristina Anderson)
The Isakson Living Park Springs community in Stone Mountain hosts each ROMEO and JULIET golf equipment, giving residents a number of choices to take pleasure in one another’s firm.
Charles Alexander mentioned he began the Park Springs ROMEO Club to fight loneliness amongst residents, most of whom are with out a partner.
“I remember coming in here early on, and I saw a couple of fellows just sitting and eating dinner by themselves. For me, eating dinner by myself would be the worst thing,” mentioned the married 82-year-old.
Now, Park Springs ROMEOs eat dinner collectively on Wednesdays and have lunch at a restaurant as soon as a month. There’s no agenda, “we just visit with each other,” mentioned Alexander. “It really does respond to the issue of loneliness. It’s like your family.”
Organizer Ellen Sutley (heart) greets ladies assembly on the JULIET’s (Just Us Ladies Indulging in Eating Together) eating membership at Park Springs retirement group in Stone Mountain on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
The membership’s success spurred Ellen Sutley to begin the JULIET Club. Her JULIETs stand for Just Us Ladies Indulging in Eating Together. Each Tuesday night time, she organizes eating room reservations for about two dozen ladies and locations a contemporary floral association at every desk. Like the ROMEOS, her group additionally meets month-to-month for lunch at a restaurant.
“I love my JULIETs. They’re just a nice group of ladies,” mentioned Sutley, who’s widowed and enjoys making new buddies by sharing meals.
“A lot of people have said thank you (to me) because that’s how they’ve met people,” she mentioned, including that they’re those who’ve made the membership a hit.
For seniors, the advantages of golf equipment like ROMEO and JULIET transcend good meals. Regular social gatherings can present construction to the week, scale back emotions of isolation and create a renewed sense of objective. Knight emphasised that there’s no want to attend for a proper membership to begin having fun with these advantages. Here are his tricks to get began:
Pair vitamin with connection: Conversation can stimulate urge for food, enhance temper, and make meals really feel like an expertise.
Do it collectively: Sharedexperiences with a bunch of buddies make you extra inclined to have interaction in these actions extra usually.
Connect by dialog: Create alternatives for significant dialog by photos or utilizing dialog thought playing cards.
Celebrate every day: Schedule time for celebrations in your life — birthdays of family and friends, anniversaries, holidays, milestones.
Reach out, even when it feels awkward: Call a good friend for lunch or invite a neighbor to fulfill for dinner at an area restaurant.