Respect, leadership, integrity, loyalty, excellence and selfless service. None of these values are found in the recent behavior of Blue Baker, an iconic restaurant in BCS. After George Bush Drive East and Texas Avenues were rezoned for retail in College Station, Blue Baker knocked down a low income home to make a driveway from George Bush Drive East to Dominik Drive, connecting the two roads at Blue Baker.
It is still a mystery as to why this small Blue Baker restaurant needs more parking and an access road on George Bush Drive East. The current parking lot is never full and the access road will increase traffic issues on George Bush Drive East. College Station police pull drivers over on that strip regularly and there is a literal race at each green light from Texas to Dominik to get into the correct lane. This driveway will increase traffic problems right in front of houses where families and Aggies live.
Furthermore, Blue Baker decided they did not need to provide any privacy for the neighbors, or for their customers who will be parking next to the back yards of those on George Bush Drive East. A simple wooden fence is all that is necessary to provide privacy for both the neighbors and the Blue Baker customers.
Lastly, they did not offer the construction crew to use their restroom, a restroom less than 50 feet away. Instead, they put a port-a-potty on the neighbor’s lawn in 100-degree heat. Not only is this rude, my neighborhood smells like hot feces. Instead, I was encouraged to move away if I did not like it. Southern Hospitality? Aggie Values?
I encourage you to take your business elsewhere until Blue Baker provides a respectful resolution to this issue.
Liz Marchio is a graduate student at Texas A&M.