Change is never easy, or in the case of our dusty little wide spot in the road off the instate, or quick. No. Change can take years. Sometimes, change can be a wrecking ball to a quiet little way of life. As people salivate for the new business coming to town, three old businesses are struggling.
On our community website, the talk is all about the location of the latest restaurant and when construction will begin. There will be more construction that will cause significant traffic constipation around our little streets. In the end, we will be a step closer to looking like every other little town in the United States.
Our hardware store, pharmacy, and grocery store are all national companies. You need to drive a little further east to find the Mom and Pop establishments that are becoming fewer each year.
In a town of 20,000+, there’s an imbalance of restaurant choices. We have three “coffee shops” pandering to those of us that enjoy comfort through food. There were four Mexican restaurants until one of them burned down on Saturday. (Not to the ground, but certainly, through the attic). It’ll be awhile under they are up and running again. And then, there are the Chinese restaurants.
Covid hit our restaurants in the worst ways possible. First, they were all closed down for months. Through the closure, it seems that people decided work wasn’t all that much fun. With Tesla’s giga-factory providing transportation to and from work, restaurant work has become a last resort as a source of income. Our restaurants are struggling to find help, resulting in long wait times for customers.
How my town ended up with three Chinese restaurants is a mystery. Of course, there are many mysteries in my little town. Like, how did an artichoke made entirely of bottlecaps or a pile of rocks known as “The Turtle” end up in “Next-to-Main-Street Park”? Can a gravel piece of land with some weird structures really be classified as a park, anyway? “Out-Of-Town Park” and “In-Town Park” are real parks with grass, swings, and ball diamonds. “In-Town-Park” even has a skate park feature. “Out-of-Town Park” is home to the rodeo arena. But a pile of rocks known as “The Turtle”? Strange.
Our three Chinese-American restaurants all have their own faithful customers. In a town the size of ours, we should be lucky to have one. Now, Panda Express is moving in. That will be the fourth. We sure could’ve used a “Chick Filet” or even the “Sonic Burger” that has been rumored to be coming for the three years I’ve lived here. But, no. Another Chinese-American restaurant.
The other night, MM and I were driving back home from a wonderful night visiting with family around the fire pit. Having the opportunity to enjoy brothers is a new experience for me, having grown up in a house full of five girls and zero boys. These brothers share true love for each other, enjoying time spent together. What a blessing to spend time with such a beautiful family.
On the way home, driving down Farm District Road, the night sky twinkled above. That stretch of road isn’t lined with street lights, but majestic cottonwood trees that have been there for over a century. The new housing developments line the street on both sides. MM couldn’t help but comment on the change since he was a boy in the mid-1900’s. The town isn’t the same, being urbanized one new house at a time. City folks are moving East, along with Panda Express.
I hope the local restaurants are taking note while paying their employees a good wage. Patrons need to tip generously. Panda Express isn’t the only new business coming to town. Changes are just around the corner. We need to enjoy our little town today, because tomorrow, things will be different. That’s guaranteed.
Whatever you do today, eat local. Find a family run restaurant and go enjoy a great dinner. Get to know the owners on a first name basis. Leave a generous tip. Community restaurants give our towns personality and flair. We need to be sure they know how much we appreciate their great food.
More tomorrow.