tfvyis
commitment as those who
own.
Martin owned the Fajita
Grille restaurant in the
Post Oak Mall, but
because it was a rental
situation, he decided to
close.
“That (the rent
situation) made the prices
higher than we thought
was fair to the consumer,”
says Martin.
Martin says that his Fort
Shiloh Steak House then
became Fort Shiloh Grille
and now the restaurant
specializes in fajitas.
Business is doing well
enough that the kitchen
was recently remodeled
and more renovations will
take place in the near
future, he says.
Besides Fort Shiloh,
Martin also owns the two
Pepe’s restaurants and
the steak house that bears
his name. Martin takes his
business seriously and
puts the consumer first,
and he says that’s the key.
“We buy our property
because we’re committed,
and because this is our
home,” he says.
One place where
empty spaces are easily
noticed is the Post Oak
Mall, but mall officials say
the emptiness is
deceiving.
General Manager
Maria Saccomen says that
the Texas economy has
nothing to do with mall
vacancies because the
city’s economy is based
on Texas A&M.
“Everyone is aware
that Texas is having some
tough economic
problems,” she says, “and
even though we (Bryan-
College Station) happen
to be in a better situation
than the rest of Texas, it’s
still difficult to talk to
anyone outside the state
and convince them of
that.”
Several of the summer
vacancies are already
being filled and others will
soon follow, Saccomen
says.
However, some spaces
in the new wing have
never even been finished
t on the inside and still have
10
dirt floors because leasing
completed spaces is
easier, she says.
Another reason for
vacancies is the large size
of some of the spaces.
Saccomen says finding
tenants who need 7,000
and 9,000 square feet
spaces is difficult. She
says that most people
want between 1,000 and
2,500 square feet.
(Charlie’s
Grocery, a Northgate
business that was popular
for decades, recently
closed, but not for
economic reasons.
Previous owner J.E.
Robbins, better known as
“Charlie, ” says that he
sold the store because he
was ready to slow down a
little.
“I’m 62 years old,” he
says emphatically. “I was
ready to slow down, but
not quit, so I’m working
part time at the bookstore.
You might not think
working five days a week
is much of a slow down,
but working 30-40 hours
a week is slower than 50-
60.”
Robbins bought the
store about 24 years ago
from the widow of the
original Charlie. He says
he tried to explain to
people that he wasn’t
Charlie, but he eventually
became so busy he didn’t
have the time. Wearing
the name doesn’t bother
Robbins, but he says that
he mainly didn’t want to
give anyone a false
impression.
The weakened Texas
economy did have an
effect on the grocery, he
says, but that had nothing
to do with his decision to
sell.
“You see, if Dad is
paying for everything and
he isn’t bringing home as
much money, then sister
and brother don’t have as
much money to spend,”
Robbins says.
As a long-time
businessman, Robbins
says that we see more
businesses changing
names today because of
retirement and bad
management. Now
people go into business
not knowing how to run it,
he says.
“A lot of people think
you just turn a key in the
front door and then sit up
on the counter or go
fishing,” Robbins says.
“Business is not done that
way. It’s a lot of hard
work. You have to use
your brain and if you’ve
got college training, that
too.”
Aggienizing Answers
Are your entertainment needs met?
by Lauren Naylor
Ho Hum, ho hum.
Yawn, yawn.
What to do... what to
do.
Is this how you
frequently feel Thursday
evenings around 6?
Do you shower and sit?
Sit and sulk? Sulk and
finally surrender to
sociology?
Do you linger casually
by your phone waiting to
hear what “the group’s”
gonna do? And, when
they do call, and inform
you of the plans, do you
find yourself saying...
AGAIN!?
If you suffer from what
I call “done-everything-
there-is-to-do-about-2,513
-times-already”
syndrome, you’re not
alone. The majority of
your fellow social peers,
surveyed in this week’s
“How do you feel?”
agonize from the same
ailment. The issue being
questioned: the adequacy
of College Station
entertainment.
“If you’ve lived up here
a month or two, there’s
not much left to do,”
complains junior
chemistry major Bob
Horswell of Houston.
“There seems to be too
much emphasis on having
a lot of clubs around
here.”
Horswell suggests a few
changes.
“There isn’t anything
like a gocart track or
something stupid like
that,” he says. “If I could
bring anything in, it
wouldn’t be another club.
I would have something
like Malibu Grand Prix in
Houston come in, with
bumper boats and the
like. We need things like
this that are more
recreational and
spontaneous.
“We need something
exciting, not run-of-the-
mill, something that can
be done several times
without getting bored with
it.”
Loss of interest in what
I call the drink-to-get-
drunk-or-linger-to-get-laid
-club-scene appears to be
the general consensus.
A&M students crave
more live entertainment,
comedy clubs, drive-in
movies and...
CULTURE?
“I would like to see a
little more fine arts-type
things,’’says Tim
Clarkson, junior
economics major of
Houston. “Maybe a
ballet, or an outdoor
theater.
“I get so tired of the
clubs. The bars here seem
to thrive on the ‘party
idiot’ — if you will.
“We just need more to
do,” Clarkson continues,
“whether it be something
simple like going to the
museum or the zoo, or
going to a professional
football or basketball
game. I guess I’m just
spoiled, being from
Houston. ”
Clarkson may be right,
because some small-town
Aggies interviewed find
night life in College
Station quite fulfilling.
“I think College
Station’s a lot of fun, ”
says senior sociology
major Viki Caddel
through her thick Tyler
accent. “Where I’m from,
there’s nothing to do.
Ozzy Osbourne tried to
tour there, but the
community threatened to
burn the site down if he
came. Well, he didn’t
come.
“All we ever get is
country singers. At least
here you get a choice. ”
Even though they
make up the minority,
Aggies who are happy
with the town’s
entertainment say there is
plenty to do if you just
look for it.
“I think the
management here caters
well to the younger
crowd, ” responds junior
accounting major Rich
Castranova of Plano. “I
think there needs to be a
newspaper guide, like
The Guide’ in the Dallas
Morning News on Fridays,
giving a listing of all the
restaurants, plays and
shows with a rating.
“There’s enough going
on in town, but half the
time, people don’t know
what’s going on or where
to go.”
Things the students do
appreciate.. .dollar
movies at Schulman 6,
Flying Tomato’s bucket of
beer, MSC chicken fried
steak night, and the many
drink specials provided
around town.
As one student
commented about the
Zephyr Club, “Those
drinks are really good. It
doesn’t take very many to
pull you under the table. ”
i