The Price of Doing Business

Crown Candy Kitchen, St. Louis' oldest and only old-fashioned ice cream parlor has been located on St. Louis Avenue since 1913, when a Greek immigrant opened the business. His grandsons maintain the establishment, catering to people who visit from throughout the area, including the affluent suburbs. But Crown is located in one of the poorest urban neighborhoods in the city.

Yesterday, an indigent woman entered the shop and begged one of the owners for bus fare. Opening the cash register, he gave her the money saying, "Here's a buck twenty-five, you'll have to get the return fare from somebody on the other end."