Goodbye Stoplight Deli

I'm going to take a break from my burger quest for just a post because I want to share my thoughts on something. I had intended for this blog to morph into a place for me to share thoughts on recipes and restaurants after the burger quest was over, anyways, so now is a good time to try something a little different out on you, my reader(s).

It seems to be a growing trend in Aiken, and perhaps in most towns around the country and maybe even the world, that growth is happening in a rather unhealthy way and it is causing some problems. For those of you who have been in Aiken for at least the last 5-10 years, you know what I am talking about.

But, before I get into that, let me first say that another Aiken staple is closing its doors next week. You have until Wednesday, June 10, 2015 to get down to Stoplight Deli (119 Laurens Street NW, Aiken, SC 29801) and enjoy at least one last Dagwood or slice of cake or a bowl of soup from those wonderful ladies. If you have a particular food allergy, take a shot, a pill or just man up. If you don't like what they have to offer, might I suggest North Korea or Russia as alternative living places?

If you've been before, you know what you will be missing, even if it was just once or twice to convince your grandma that you don't eat lunchables every day for lunch. If you've never been, especially those of you from out of town, get down there immediately. But be prepared to wait as all the locals from over the years line up to pay their respects (and I'm not joking about this part. I waited in line for nearly 20 or 30 minutes yesterday, and I will do it again sometime before they close. And I won't complain one bit because it's great to see that place filled to capacity and with a line).

Now, I'm sure there are plenty of people who are thinking, "Calm down, man! It's not the end of the world." And no, it's not. But it is the end for a very nice, local place in Aiken and it's part of a trend. This is a place that has become a staple in downtown Aiken over the years and I had hoped would be there for many more years to come. But that is not to be.

For those of you who aren't familiar, let me share this image of the lunch I had from there yesterday - a Daddy Dagwood, side of potato salad and a big ol' slice of red velvet cake (one of my favorites, FYI):

Looks pretty dang good, right? And that's just a small number of the items on their menu. They make just about everything in store, have numerous sandwiches (both hot and cold) and soups of the day, great sweet tea, and the ladies are just genuinely nice and hard working. Most of them have been working there for as long as I can remember, but I'm also not the best customer in that I haven't gone as often as I should. It sure is going to be a sad day when I decide, "Hey, I want a Dagwood and some potato or pasta salad from Stoplight. Oo oo, and some hummingbird cake! ... Oh, wait. They're closed."

That hurt just to type it.

And this brings me to the reason for this post: the changing food landscape of Aiken.

The other day, I was noticing as I was driving from the south side up Whiskey Road towards the bypass that things are continuing to grow in the direction of New Ellenton. Crackle Barrel, Shane's Rib Shack and Longhorns all opened up fairly recently. Outback went through a face lift to avoid losing customers. And now, we are adding a drive-through Starbucks, a Chipotle (I believe) and a Panera Bread. All onto an already busy stretch that also includes (in no particular order): Arby's, O'Charlie's, Chick-fil-a, Golden Corral, Chiles, Red Lobster, Atlanta Bread, Burger King, Sonic, Checkers, Krystal, Five Guys, McDonald's, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, and on... Actually, that might be everything in that immediate area.

Do you see what I mean? And that's just on that one stretch of Whiskey. Because of places like these (which also include Subway, Jimmy John's, Moe's, Applebee's, Mellow Mushroom) locally-owned, non-chain restaurants are closing here in Aiken at an alarming rate, recently.

We watched as Cafe Rio Blanco shut their doors just a few years ago. I stumbled across a picture of Orlando - the owner for those of you who never got to enjoy his company or food - the other day and I could almost taste his cuban sandwiches or smell the large cafe con leche I almost always had to have on a cold day. Or the plantains, rice, pork and onions, and all the other family recipes he and his family cooked up for a few years on Laurens Street.

Just last year, many of us celebrated as Mellow Mushroom announced they would be opening in downtown Aiken, only to realize it meant the West Side Bowery was closing. Many of my friends didn't necessarily see this as a bad thing, but boy was that a bitter pill for many long-time patrons of Sam Herb's restaurant.

And now, the most recent two closings have been announced: Davor's and Stoplight Deli, the latter of which has been around for quite some time and the former being a place that several of my friends loved to go to for brunch or for a quick drink.

And that's just four examples of small-town America feeling the effects of the big dogs' bite. I also remember thinking no way would Ferrando's move out of the alley. But that is what it took, sadly, for them to compete and stay relevant.

The same could be said for the Buffet (never went), Aires Grille (some of the best burgers and hand-cut fries you could ever hope for), Barbeque Barn (man I miss that being nice and close but at least they are still in North Augusta). How about Papa Russ's? Man, oh man, were those some great chili cheese fries and some pretty good pulled pork sandwiches.

So, why am I writing this post? Well, it's not an attack on the big stores. Trust me, I can't compete with the multi-billion dollar organizations that own many of these. And I am guilty of enjoying what many of the big box chains offer (yes, I am at Moe's Monday almost every Monday and the Jimmy John's people know me quite well, too). I am writing it probably because I feel a little guilty.

Guilty that I didn't eat at any of those places more. Guilty that I didn't already write my food blog back then to introduce more people to what these places have to offer. Guilty that I, like many, prefer the ease and quickness of some of the chains over waiting a few more minutes for something local.

But, most importantly, I am writing this, and the burger posts, because I want to share what I think makes Aiken great.

Yes, we are a horse town with polo and races and eventing galore. Sure, we have a pretty good college in USC Aiken. And of course, I love that we are 2.5 hours from the beach, mountains, Atlanta and Charlotte (those two might be a slight stretch depending on your speed) all in one location.

While all of those things are good selling points for Aiken, the best thing I can think of is that Aiken has been a town that features some of the best locally-owned and operated stores that are not chains. But, sadly, they are becoming fewer and fewer with each year. It might not be that long before the Acropolis, Brew Pub, Ray's, Blue Top, Playoffs, City B's and others are bought out and replaced or have to shut down due to not being able to compete. I know, seems extreme, but, it seems to be happening faster and faster every year.

Especially when I can count 12 chain pizza places, alone. But that's another conversation for another day... and maybe another blog series.

So, make sure you get out to Stoplight Deli before Wednesday the 10th. I'm sorry I wasn't able to write this about Davor's or Cafe Rio Blanco or some of the others, but I'm doing it now. Buy and eat local when you can. The locations will appreciate you more than those fast food joints. And, it's just the American thing to do. Right, Nick Offerman?