Bring local back to our business community

By Alonzo Weston

I read the other day in the St. Joseph News-Press Midweek edition that business is expanding in the southeast part of the city.

The article touted the grand opening of the new Reed Chevrolet facilities along Commonwealth Court near Menards.

Forgive me for waxing nostalgic, but I remember when the area was also thriving in the past.

This new expansion is all well and good but further northeast, places are closing or rumored to be doing so soon.

Rib Crib BBQ has been vacant for several months now. I personally never cared for their ribs but at least there was another BBQ option in town.

I would love to see a Gates BBQ in the building or a Jumping Catfish restaurant in the location. We need another seafood place in this town badly.

A few months ago, some visitors asked me if there was a fish place in town. What they meant was a good, old-fashioned, fried-catfish type of place similar to Jumping Catfish. I told them all we had was Red Lobster and Long John Silvers. The folks ended up leaving town.

A few years back, a young couple from out of town stopped and asked me for a good place to eat in town. I told them about Chili’s and other restaurants at the North Shoppes but no, they wanted something local, not a chain. They wanted a taste of our city. It’s like when we travel we don’t want to eat at a chain in Chicago, Memphis or New Orleans. We want local flavors. Sadly, we have few homegrown eating places. We see chains as progress.

Getting back to the southeast, I remember when Al’s Truck Stop was out there along with a place called Millers Grill, which had the best tenderloins ever. There’s nothing today that beats their tenderloin. It was also locally grown.

I heard rumors that Applebee’s may close just before a new Quiktrip opens in the area along Frederick Boulevard.

Some closures can be linked to a lack of help. Restaurants are grossly short-handed in town as they can’t keep help. So don’t blame the waiters or staff for slow service, blame the lack of help.

Yes I know this all sounds like an old man’s rant about the good old days but there’s something to be said about the meaning of progress.

The once fabulous East Hills Shopping Center has dust storms and tumbleweeds inside it now due to vacant stores.

Downtown several years back had that similar vacant feeling with empty buildings and a decrepit mall setting. Today it is alive with many mom-and-pop local stores and restaurants, which brings life to it again. I love my city. Let’s make it work.