7 DEC 04: END OF THE LINE
I'm not sure when it happened, but I suddenly noticed it over the weekend - the Subway shop near the Columbus Civic Center has closed. Maybe if the company had brought "Sherman and Herman" to town, instead of sending Jared all the time...
The Subway shop at 419 Veterans Parkway opened about five years ago. It didn't have much parking, but offered a "walk-up" location for residents at the Booker T. Washington apartments across the road. But let's face it - this was one Subway which needed a monitor for Quick Cash games.
I suppose this downtown Subway shop shut down for lack of business - and that means victory for Chester's Barbecue down the street, at 6th and Veterans Parkway. The food there may not be as healthful -- but at least B.T.W. residents will walk a little farther to buy it.
Chester's apparently beat Subway downtown with ridiculously low prices. A sign on the wall offers 99-cent sandwiches. And unlike Subway, customers probably don't have to face difficuly choices with big words like "oregano."
The closing of this Subway reminded me of a story on public radio's "All Things Considered" Saturday evening. It was about the lack of fresh, unprocessed foods in low-income areas of cities. Booker T. Washington apartment residents could walk a few blocks to the Farmer's Market - but there's that scary cemetery in the way.
The shutdown of Subway also is a reminder of how difficult it is to have successful businesses around the Civic Center. Kendall's restaurant at 4th Street and 3rd Avenue and now has only one function - promoting specials at a Spectrum store across the street.
(You could argue businesses have trouble succeeding anywhere around South Commons. How many times has Port Columbus asked for supplemental state funding?)
The Subway near the Civic Center was the closest "fast-food" restaurant to my house, a short walk away. I'd walk there after some Saturday night runs, or on rainy weekend evenings. The rainy nights especially were challenging - because the Sub Club stamps would stick to anything but your discount card.
The Subway on Veterans Parkway played a role in the only time I was two-timed by beggars in Columbus. Two beggars approached me at the same time in the "Money Back" parking lot down the street - the first one wanting chicken, the other wanting Subway food. Neither one would compromise, and accept anything from the convenience store.
(BLOGGER'S NOTE: We couldn't find our notes on that two-timing, due to an early deadline. But we'll keep searching, for an upcoming LaughLine flashback.)
Now other quick and hopefully not-too-dirty things from the last couple of days:
+ Civil rights leaders from Atlanta came to Columbus, and announced a petition drive to collect 10,000 signatures protesting the Kenneth Walker case. For their sake, we sincerely hope William Howell isn't put in charge of this project.
(Pastor Wayne Baker said at a news conference District Attorney Gray Conger "wimped out" of the Kenneth Walker case, by recusing himself. So Baker would rather have a conviction now, even if it's overturned for a conflict of interest later?!)
+ Clear Channel Radio began its annual drive to help the "98 neediest families" in local housing projects. I figured with that new rap station "The Beat," this would expand to the 101.3 neediest.
+ Instant Message to the Opelika Kroger store: OK, I give up. I'm stumped. Why do you have a box offering free Hershey's chocolate postcards on a shelf next to Denorex dandruff shampoo? If it was next to the Clearasil, I might understand....
COMING WEDNESDAY: I follow all the rules to fix my computer, and....
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