Aggies love their chicken tenders and pizza rolls, so any restaurant willing to break the pattern sometimes faces the risk of rejection. Yet individuality adds variety, which can serve as a sigh of relief in the midst of repetition.
Grub Burger Bar opened in March 2012 with a goal to stand out among the neighboring restaurants. Founders Jimmy Loup, Class of 1996, and Tom Kenney traveled the country to see and taste all sorts of burgers.
Upon their return, they introduced College Station to menu items such as ghost chili peppers, Dr Pepper barbeque sauce and spiked bourbon milkshakes.
“We wanted something that was unique and special for College Station,” Kenney said. “We wanted something that had its own local flavor.”
Loup was a student at A&M and began working for Kenney at the College Station Outback Steakhouse in 1993. Over time, they began to share a vision of opening an affordable gourmet burger restaurant with quality food and a character of its own.
“What Grub did is they came in, took a hamburger and did a great job while making it, but they also added some creative options that you could not get anywhere else in College Station,” said Cale Gardenhire, a former employee and Class of 2011.
Kenney’s intention was to provide a “unique vibe” through the combination of an attentive staff, trendy music and extravagant food options.
“[Grub] really reinforces that A&M is one of the happiest places on earth,” said Campbell Janse, sophomore accounting major. “Everyone is super nice and willing to serve you.”
Instead of using prepackaged ingredients, the staff prepares the food from scratch every day. With its creative atmosphere, it provides an urban environment previously foreign to the college town.
“I felt like when I was eating at Grub, I was eating at a restaurant in Boston or downtown Houston,” Gardenhire said. “It was kind of cool and hip. ”
Students have entered the restaurant as both customers and workers, which Kenney said influences the atmosphere.
“Everyone here, from my bus boy to my hostess, is three times smarter than me,” Kenney said. “They’re all really good kids. You get all the energy and enthusiasm of the college kids…as well as the late nights.”