I don't believe there's a market for a sociological study of the feelings of Waco residents about Lubbock and Lubbock residents about Waco. But if there were, I feel extremely qualified to write it. I've thought about it many times as I cruised the more-than-300-mile drive between the two Texas cities.
The thesis (and also the reason why there's not a market) is that folks in the two towns don't have much regard for the other. I've never heard anyone in Waco say anything like "You know how they do it in Lubbock? We should do it like that." Or the other way around, for that matter.
But I did discover something this week that Waco, and specifically Baylor, might want to think about copying.
Texas Tech has renovated its football stadium in stages during the last decade, adding luxury suite complexes on the west and east sides of the stadium. One of the cool features is the Texas Tech Club, essentially a steakhouse on the fourth floor of the east-side complex. I dined there with my mom and grandfather on Wednesday night. Cool atmosphere. Decent steak.
So since Baylor is in the early stages of building its sparkling brand new stadium, how about a fancy restaurant inside of it? I think it would work because once that thing opens, folks are going to want to be around it, and not just on football game days.
Right?
At any rate, the new stadium plans have brought with them plenty of intrigue about how it might rejuvenate downtown and even perhaps create a trendy, new area.
As I ran this idea past a few guys at the pub on Thursday night, Mark the Shark replied with his big idea for the new stadium. He opined that he would like to see a Pappasito's next door to the new park. That made us dream of a Pappasito's, Pappadeaux, Pappas Brothers Steakhouse complex near the new stadium, similar to the one along I-30 in Fort Worth.
So let me hear from you. What restaurants would you like to see in the neighborhood of the new Baylor football stadium?
