“[Starkville] can’t preserve your horse riding trails at the expense of…

57stratdawg

Well-known member
Mar 24, 2010
27,792
3,327
113
a Cracker Barrel - WHICH WE DID!” - Rosebowl

Ha ha - is that true? I’ve never heard that before.
 

57stratdawg

Well-known member
Mar 24, 2010
27,792
3,327
113
Id lead the riots if it was Another Broken Egg or First Watch in question.
 

maroonmania

Active member
Feb 23, 2008
10,873
452
83
I hope its not true. Unless you want to wait a while for a table at Starkville Cafe not a lot of places to get a good old fashioned breakfast in town.
 

Smoked Toag

New member
Jul 15, 2021
3,262
1
0
That quote reminded me of the fear of in-game alcohol sales too - speaking of which, has the hounds of hell been released because of that yet? Haven't seen it affect not ONE family.....if anything, it's cut down on the belligerent drunks.

It's really hard for me to imagine the thought process of the old guard. I'm not judging them, because it obviously came from somewhere. But the irrational fear of things and small town mentality (whether it's alcohol or a Cracker Barrell) was/still is just hard to grasp.
 
Last edited:

The Peeper

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2008
12,128
5,362
113
It's an old story with some truth to it I think dating back to about 2015. Supposedly Cracker Barrell was interested in coming to Starkville but the city wasn't willing to bend on some things and instead they went to Columbus. I've not heard the horse trail portion of the story though
 

Smoked Toag

New member
Jul 15, 2021
3,262
1
0
It's an old story with some truth to it I think dating back to about 2015. Supposedly Cracker Barrell was interested in coming to Starkville but the city wasn't willing to bend on some things and instead they went to Columbus. I've not heard the horse trail portion of the story though
Truth be known anything that is located in the Golden Triangle is all the same to me. Sure it's best for things to be in Starkville but who really cares.

Be curious to know what "wasn't willing to bend on some things" really means.
 

mstateglfr

Well-known member
Feb 24, 2008
13,476
3,402
113
Starkville has bridle paths in an area where a Cracker Barrel wanted to build?

Where is this within the city?
Why couldnt Cracker Barrel just pick one of twenty other spots in town?
 

dorndawg

Well-known member
Sep 10, 2012
7,032
5,159
113
The horse park on Poor House Road? I'm to believe a Cracker Barrel was planned for that location?
 

57stratdawg

Well-known member
Mar 24, 2010
27,792
3,327
113
I’m guessing it was on 12 or 25 and there are some horse trails off the highway.
 

horshack.sixpack

Well-known member
Oct 30, 2012
9,075
5,076
113
ABE is average and expensive. First Watch, I like better, but give me a local breakfast cafe over any of the chains.
 

johnson86-1

Well-known member
Aug 22, 2012
12,235
2,465
113
Truth be known anything that is located in the Golden Triangle is all the same to me. Sure it's best for things to be in Starkville but who really cares.

Be curious to know what "wasn't willing to bend on some things" really means.

Who really cares whether they have to drive 30 minutes to get something or 5? I think 99% of the population? 99.5% of the population?
 

archdog

New member
Aug 22, 2012
1,882
0
0
Truth be known anything that is located in the Golden Triangle is all the same to me. Sure it's best for things to be in Starkville but who really cares.

Be curious to know what "wasn't willing to bend on some things" really means.

The city ordinances. They don't allow stuff like Crackle Barrell to be built with their decor on the outside. Doesn't fit the exterior material requirements. Except unless you are little dooey's or Shaggy Hound.
 

mstateglfr

Well-known member
Feb 24, 2008
13,476
3,402
113
Truth be known anything that is located in the Golden Triangle is all the same to me. Sure it's best for things to be in Starkville but who really cares.

Be curious to know what "wasn't willing to bend on some things" really means.

If I had to go to a Cracker Barrel, I would much prefer to drive a couple minutes instead of 30.
 

Smoked Toag

New member
Jul 15, 2021
3,262
1
0
Who really cares whether they have to drive 30 minutes to get something or 5? I think 99% of the population? 99.5% of the population?
30 minutes from Starkville to Columbus is a stretch. Not to mention you can’t get anywhere in Starkville in 5 minutes.

Driving in between GT towns is a breeze compared to a big metro area.

Really not sure why this is something to be argued.
 

maroonmadman

Well-known member
Nov 7, 2010
2,421
541
113
Back in the '80's on a Sunday following a Saturday football game you would have to wait for a table at the Shoney's on Hwy 12. They did a booming business on football weekends.
 

kired

Well-known member
Aug 22, 2008
6,483
1,445
113
If I had to go to a Cracker Barrel, I would much prefer to drive a couple minutes instead of 30.

If I had to go to a Cracker Barrel, I better be on vacation. I think it's officially a sin to eat at a Cracker Barrel within 1 hour of home.

I don't know why... but surely I'm not the only one who only eats there when I'm on a road trip. It's probably been 10 years since I've eaten at the one here in Tupelo.
 

dickiedawg

Active member
Feb 22, 2008
3,597
324
83
Not sure why “30 minutes from starkville to Columbus is a stretch”. Depending on where you are in Starkville and where you’re going in Columbus it could be less, could be more, but 30 minutes is a nice round number.

You’re right that most trips within starkville are going to take longer than 5 minutes.
 

The Peeper

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2008
12,128
5,362
113
That's what happens when you have all you can eat buffet, i.e. "unlimited bacon".
 

johnson86-1

Well-known member
Aug 22, 2012
12,235
2,465
113
30 minutes from Starkville to Columbus is a stretch. Not to mention you can’t get anywhere in Starkville in 5 minutes.

Driving in between GT towns is a breeze compared to a big metro area.

Really not sure why this is something to be argued.

If you can't get anywhere in Starkville in 5 minutes, then that just reaffirms that it's going to be 30 minutes plus to get anywhere in Columbus.

It's 20 miles from the last 82 onramp in starkville to the first 82 off ramp in Columbus.

Just picking a few places, from Academy Village to the first off ramp in Columbus is 30 minutes. From the Mill it's 25 minutes. From Downtown it's 26 minutes. From Avalon it's 27 minutes.

So unless you're going somewhere right on the edge of Columbus, you're going to be looking at a 30 minute trip. Sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more
 
Sep 25, 2009
57
0
6
Good rumor but not true. Not getting a Target either.

This rumor isn't true in part or whole. Starkville has not yet met the criteria for Cracker Barrel. New retail center "might" change that. When they located in Columbus they didn't look at Starkville. There is a large developer that has contracted them in the past there were several criteria lacking in Starkville. But the basic site criteria is below.

[h=4]Site Criteria[/h]
  • Excellent access and visibility from a major commercial artery or Interstate
  • Site should have High Concentration of national retailers with major retail anchors
  • Size: 1.8 – 2.0 acres
  • Able to accommodate an 8,960 square foot building with 177 seats and approximately 120 – 130 parking spaces. All utilities must be available at the site
  • Cracker Barrel “trade dress” on the exterior of building with prominent signage
  • No liquor license required
 

aTotal360

Well-known member
Nov 12, 2009
18,765
7,554
113
I always thought a Cracker Barrel would do well where Jack Salmon's Fish House was.
 

mstateglfr

Well-known member
Feb 24, 2008
13,476
3,402
113
If I had to go to a Cracker Barrel, I better be on vacation. I think it's officially a sin to eat at a Cracker Barrel within 1 hour of home.

I don't know why... but surely I'm not the only one who only eats there when I'm on a road trip. It's probably been 10 years since I've eaten at the one here in Tupelo.

I dont think I have ever gone to one when it wasnt part of a road trip. There is just nothing appealing to make it a place we would choose to dine when in town. I cant list 100 restaurants in my area off the top of my head, but Cracker Barrel would still not be in my top100.
 

Go Budaw

Member
Aug 22, 2012
7,321
0
36
Good rumor but not true. Not getting a Target either.

This rumor isn't true in part or whole. Starkville has not yet met the criteria for Cracker Barrel. New retail center "might" change that. When they located in Columbus they didn't look at Starkville. There is a large developer that has contracted them in the past there were several criteria lacking in Starkville. But the basic site criteria is below.

Site Criteria


  • Excellent access and visibility from a major commercial artery or Interstate
  • Site should have High Concentration of national retailers with major retail anchors
  • Size: 1.8 – 2.0 acres
  • Able to accommodate an 8,960 square foot building with 177 seats and approximately 120 – 130 parking spaces. All utilities must be available at the site
  • Cracker Barrel “trade dress” on the exterior of building with prominent signage
  • No liquor license required

There’s no way in hell that Columbus meets the criteria, but Starkville doesn’t. That doesn’t mean Starkville needs a Cracker Barrell, or Cracker Barrell should locate there. There might be some unofficial criteria that they don’t want more than 1 location in a rural area to be close to one another. But Columbus has absolutely no advantage over Starkville in any of the listed criteria.
 

mstateglfr

Well-known member
Feb 24, 2008
13,476
3,402
113
30 minutes from Starkville to Columbus is a stretch. Not to mention you can’t get anywhere in Starkville in 5 minutes.

Driving in between GT towns is a breeze compared to a big metro area.

Really not sure why this is something to be argued.

Middle of Starkville(Holiday Inn Express) to the Cracker Barrel in Columbus shows 26min currently.
Shitass restaurant to shitass restaurant is 30mi and 28min(Applebees to Cracker Barrel).

This is such a GOAT thing to dig in on. Of course it is more inconvenient to drive to Columbus than to get something in Starkville if you are already in Starkville.
Nobody who lives near Oby's would jump in the car and drive to the Lowe's in Columbus for something that is available at the Lowe's in Starkville because its a big difference in time. They could drive 7min there and 7min back or drive over 30min there and 30min back.
Who wants to drive for 1 hour when they can drive for 15min?


You compare driving between GT towns as a breeze compared to a big metro area, sure that is true. But that has nothing to do with your claim that 30min of driving is no different than 5min of driving.
Also, in a major metro there will be a Lowe's closer than 28mi away.
I have Lowe's stores 2.5mi, 5mi, 16mi away, and 39mi away. Guess how often I go to the one 39mi away, even though its all just fast interstate easy driving.
 

Smoked Toag

New member
Jul 15, 2021
3,262
1
0
No one is arguing but you.

5 to 10 mins vs 30? Pretty easy choice.
You don't have to go. But the facts are, the GT community has a Cracker Barrel. If you don't want to drive, go to Starkville Cafe.

It's like someone in Brandon saying they don't have a Cracker Barrel, when there is one in Pearl.
 

Hugh's Burner Phone

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2017
4,314
3,459
113
The city ordinances. They don't allow stuff like Crackle Barrell to be built with their decor on the outside. Doesn't fit the exterior material requirements. Except unless you are little dooey's or Shaggy Hound.

I know when 1884 BBQ was still in business they put up some corrogated tin on the windows of their outside eating area and were made to take it down. They pitch a fit over that but say nothing about that guy lives next to the Exxon on 12 that has 3' weeds in his yard and **** strown everywhere.
 

Go Budaw

Member
Aug 22, 2012
7,321
0
36
You don't have to go. But the facts are, the GT community has a Cracker Barrel. If you don't want to drive, go to Starkville Cafe.

It's like someone in Brandon saying they don't have a Cracker Barrel, when there is one in Pearl.

Aside from the obvious, I think you’re making an assumption that people who are attracted to living in communities such as Starkville should just adopt the common practice of being “used” to driving 30+ minutes to do stuff they want like metro area people do.

The whole appeal of Starkville for anyone who is not a college student is the small town vibe. Less time in the car and more time with family / friends, etc. Slower pace of life. It punches above its weight class for number of good local places to eat because of MSU. Because of that, there’s no reason to drive 30+ min to eat somewhere on any sort of a regular basis. If its your personality to be that type of food connoisseur (trying to type that without laughing my *** off when thinking about Cracker Barrell), you’re much better off living in a big city where you can find 100+ good restaurants within 30 minutes, instead of just the 3 or 4 decent places in Columbus and West Point put together.
 
Last edited:

johnson86-1

Well-known member
Aug 22, 2012
12,235
2,465
113
You don't have to go. But the facts are, the GT community has a Cracker Barrel. If you don't want to drive, go to Starkville Cafe.

It's like someone in Brandon saying they don't have a Cracker Barrel, when there is one in Pearl.
Brandon and Pearl are 8 miles apart, and the entire area is reasonably developed. Starkville downtown to Columbus downtoan is ~24 miles, and much of the distance you have literal pastures on both sides of the highway. That's just not the same thing. Just like it's not the same thing as the Coast or South Memphis, and even in those places, people largely stick to an area of less than 10 miles in any direction.
 

The Peeper

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2008
12,128
5,362
113
Starkville didn't meet the usual Academy Sports criteria for population or retail either but they built it because of the university population, sports weekends throughout the year, hunting and fishing crowd. There are Cracker Barrels in Batesville, Corinth, Brookhaven, and even Moss Point for goodness sakes. You can't tell me that all of those are better location than Starkville w/ all of the sports weekends, university population and university visitors every day of the week.
 

greenbean.sixpack

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2012
6,141
4,721
113
Brandon and Pearl are 8 miles apart, and the entire area is reasonably developed. Starkville downtown to Columbus downtoan is ~24 miles, and much of the distance you have literal pastures on both sides of the highway. That's just not the same thing. Just like it's not the same thing as the Coast or South Memphis, and even in those places, people largely stick to an area of less than 10 miles in any direction.


True dat, there's a Lowes 8 miles from me, while Home Depot is 12 miles, those 4 miles make me a Lowes man.
 

patdog

Well-known member
May 28, 2007
48,431
12,160
113
True that. Where I live, they're each about 1 mile from the interstate on opposite sides. Most times, I just go to Lowes, even though I like Home Depot better. It's all about the convenience.
 

Bill Shankly

New member
Nov 27, 2020
2,095
0
0
I've eaten at a Cracker Barrel exactly twice. Both times I was in a situation I did not make choice and had no input in it. I thought the food was terrible. Virtually every Southern town over about 700 in population has a locally owned and operated place that does the same type of food WAY better. If you want a real food scene you ain't gonna get it from chains.
 
Get unlimited access today.

Pick the right plan for you.

Already a member? Login