The Observer, March 3, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 19
College Station needs to step up its game
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Increasingly on and around our fair campus, students are inundated with the idea of Case as a part of a larger community. But what does that mean? Presumably it means that Case's students and staff should be constantly aware of the relationship between the campus and its surrounding environment, each giving and receiving benefit from the other. Whether or not that is actually the case in most instances is up for debate; but when it comes to the businesses that adjoin our campus, a reciprocal relationship between campus and community is a must for the survival of vendor.
Earlier this month, College Station, a fast food restaurant roughly the size of the NRV convenience store, opened its doors on Murray Hill Rd. across from Valentino's with very little fanfare. Intrigued by the single sheet of paper that constitutes the entire menu, a companion and I headed over to check it out. When we arrived at 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night, the only indication that College Station was open for business (during what normally would be prime snacking time) were the blinding neon food-shaped light fixtures in the front windows; the inside dining area, consisting of four tables and a counter, was empty save for the staff. After ordering at the counter, we sat down to warm the Cleveland cold off of our hands, while our food was given to us in an unceremonious take-out style paper bag.
While waiting for my Happy Meal-sized, but very tasty $4 portion of breaded mushrooms to cool off (months later, I am still upset that Wackadoo's took their version off the menu), I took some time to survey the décor and atmosphere. For a Friday night on a college campus, College Station was remarkably quiet; not even the worst kind of elevator music played to brighten the mood of the very clean, but rather dull white room. A chalk board was placed on the back wall, a welcoming gesture to chalk-happy students, but other than that, the restaurant had little decoration and almost none of the quirky personality of other campus area establishments. My companion remarked that his hamburger was much too overdone, and that at Wackadoo's, he would have gotten fries and a drink for the same price.
I left College Station wishing that it had given me more to like; perhaps the worst part of the experience was that I did not feel comfortable to linger and talk and relax. That is not to say that it wouldn't be worth your time to drop by College Station for a quick snack on your way to class; the food wasn't bad, and the service was certainly faster than other local fast food establishments. But on the community front, for a business targeted at a college campus to survive, it must be able to provide students with an atmosphere conducive to the college lifestyle. What may prove more challenging for College Station is competing with Wackadoo's, which offers a very similar menu, hosts campus events, and has all of the added convenience of being located on campus and showcasing copious numbers of expensive plasma screen TVs. If College Station wants to roll with the big boys of Case's community, it's going to have to step up its game.
