Happy new year, everyone.
Not like "Happy New Year" with capital letters, but I just wanted to wish everyone a good first working week of 2015. I, for one, need the encouragement. Is anyone else having trouble finding their rhythm this week? The weather isn't helping, I'm afraid. But here we go anyway.
The turn of the calendar made me want to look back at the banner year that was 2014 in Waco, partially as a way of sizing up the prospects for 2015.
If I were gong to do a "Top 10 Big Things that Happened in Waco" list, it would be easy to fill up. So easy, in fact, that some important stuff might be left out, which is the main reason why I don't want to do it.
Of course, the tip top of the list would include things like McLane Stadium opening, Torchy's coming to town and the completion of the Hippodrome remodel and the historic theater's re-opening in November.
We had a bunch of new restaurants set up shop here. Torchy's, Freddy's, Firehouse and Longhorn Steakhouse opened Waco branches. We also finally added a second freestanding Chick-fil-A.
But it wasn't just chains that brought newness to town. Muddle jumped in early in 2014 and the ownership group also brought us Kuma in the fall. Club Sandwich, Vanilla Bean and Xristo's added new variety to the food truck scene. And Portofino moved to Austin Avenue, adding to the thriving downtown scene.
Late in the year, Manny's on the River finished its renovation of the site that was formerly Lake Brazos Steakhouse. It doesn't fit in either the chain or local category as it's part of a Dallas-based restaurant group. I've heard both positive and not-so-jazzed reviews of the place through the grapevine. Because of their massive patio and deck on the north bank of the Brazos, it might be late spring before this place makes its biggest impact, but I still say it's a major player of the 2014 arrivals.
That's a cursory review of 2014 restaurant events, but I think it underlines how our town is showing quite a bit of spunk these days. We're right in the middle of the college football recruiting season and, as such, a sports metaphor comes to mind. In college football recruiting, one good class of prospects tends to beget the next one.
We've already added our first new restaurant of the year as Fuego opened on Monday in Woodway. The tortilla grill will be bringing a second location near Baylor later this year. Also on deck are a downtown Coach's. We're especially excited about the new Greek sandwich shop Alpha Omega, which the folks at 1424 are working on opening on Franklin.
I read on the Waco Tribune-Herald's website today that Saltgrass Steakhouse is all set to open a location at Legends Crossing. The Trib also had a story that the Turners are building a strip center across I-35 from Baylor and it will be home to another Freddy's.
And there's always the In-N-Out possibility on the horizon. For now, we'll put that on the shelf alongside the Indian food and fancy-new-grocery-store rumors.
Here's my big optimistic prediction: when I write this blog a year from now it will include a huge arrival in 2015 that's not listed here. I don't know what it will be, but there's too much happening here for there not to be a big news item coming at us with great speed and force.
