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Day 2 - June 26, 2009

SEATTLE- Went out to dinner tonight and had a cheese and tomato sandwich at Athenian Inn seafood restaurant in the Pike Place Market and met the Louise Cromwell.

She's the owner of the restaurant, 91-years-old and helps where she can, carry a plate, clean a table, and hostess.

Louise is dressed in a sharp pink sweater with white buttons the size of peas. She has a white cable knit blouse offset by simple gold clip on earrings, a thin gold bracelet and watch.

Louise stands 4-foot-10 and basically disappears when she steps behind the counter.

She would have been a first round choice for hide-and-seek.

Louise wears oblong red-rimmed glasses and a hint of pink lipstick. For 91, she's very sharp and fit. "My dad used to say, Louise you better keep in good shape because you're going to live a long time." 

Her dad died at 102.

The restaurant's claim to fame is their tie to the movie Sleepless in Seattle.

"These people came in and they were scouting the place for a couple weeks," said Louise who has a short pixie haircut held back by a dark pink headband.

Louise's husband Bob was initially dealing with the movie scouts, when he got sick is when Louise found out.

"I didn't know anything about the deal until someone called when I was at the hospital and they asked if we had made up our mind."

"Well I didn't know what to say," said Louise. "They were going to have to shut us down in August to do the movie and that was our busiest time of year."

The location scout was nothing but persistent. Louise was resistant until one of the neighboring businesses, a fishmonger, said she should do it.

"I called the movie scout back and asked why my restaurant? He said because it had the flavor of Seattle."

The film crew came in and took over. "There were huge lights and cameras everywhere," said Louise pointing to the balcony area and sweeping her arm across the intimate kitchen.

"There were so many people and makeup staff and costumes. I had to still do my thing so I left one day to go to the bank and when I got back the security guy said nobody could go in the restaurant because they were closed for a movie."

Louise laughed remembering how someone had to tell security she was the owner of the establishment.

Louise's husband returned home from the hospital as the filming started. "He came with me one day to visit and it was so nice because Tom Hanks came over and talked to him."

Louise confessed, before the movie started she wasn't really aware who Tom Hanks was.

At the end of the counter at the restaurant are two red plaques. One on the end cap of the bar area reads: Tom Hanks Sleepless in Seattle sat here.  Around the turn is another plaque that reads: Rob Reiner Sleepless in Seattle sat here.

There's a framed movie poster in one of the first booths of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

The scene shot at the restaurant was a winter scene and Louise remembered everybody was dressed in big coats; it was August, one of the hottest times of the year.

Louise said she has a brief appearance in the movie. "You can't blink or you'll miss me," she grinned.

AFTER THE MOVIE...

Since the movie was released, Louise's husband Bob has since died and a family friend has been brought in to help manage the restaurant.

Louise and Bob opened the restaurant 43 years ago.

"We serve breakfast all the time," said Louise about one of the things that hasn't changed. "When we started coffee was five cents a cup. When we raised it to 10 cents it was a really big deal and then when it went up 15 cents that was almost unheard of."