Daily Are Saddened By The Upcoming Changes To Fry Street

WIFE2HOT4U · January 25, 2007

The Tomato on Fry Street is approaching the end of its time at its current location, marking the end of an era for NT students, visitors and Denton residents. The Tomato and several other businesses are preparing to relocate or shut down because of the recent acquisition of the properties by United Equities, Inc. We here at the Daily are saddened by the upcoming changes to Fry Street, but even more so at the failed attempts to stop them.

Where else will NT students go to eat greasy, expensive yet delicious pizza at midnight in an atmosphere filled with crappy metal music and acrid cigarette smoke?

Where else can we go to drink until we can't walk and then hope our buddies are sober enough to help us hobble our way home to our house, apartment or dorm?

And of course, where else can we go to laugh at high school-age, wannabe punks in Hot Topic gear and dirty vintage shirts who injure themselves on skateboards and attempt to bum cigarettes off of bar patrons?

Denton seems to be destined to become like so many other cities in Texas - a tangled mess of interstate loops, chain stores and never-ending road construction. It's quite possible that in the future, it may not really matter what town you choose to go to school at. They're all the same! It will become increasingly important for NT to make itself stand out in an ever-growing sea of fast food joints and family-friendly establishments.

It's not like NT students are going to stop congregating altogether. People will move on and take their money elsewhere. Maybe this will bode well for the other businesses in Denton. People will probably end up going to the businesses that will be set up among the ruins of old Fry Street. But why bother? One Starbucks or CVS Pharmacy is the same as any other.

The end of Fry Street doesn't have to spell the end for the businesses there. Mr. Chopsticks is a fine example, which manages to not just survive but thrive at its new location. Hopefully the myriad of shops of Fry Street will follow its example.

Within a few weeks, the Fry Street we know and love is set for major changes. So go out tonight and buy a comic book, grab some coffee, eat some pizza and drink a beer for all those NT students who will come after you - those who will never know how awesome Fry Street used to be.

untStein · January 25, 2007

All of this is unfortunate. The Tomato and Mr Chopstix were good for atmosphere but it's really not that bad. Chopstix had the tendency to make people violently ill, plus there's better pizza in Denton than The Tomato (J&J's).

Daddy Dumpsalot · January 25, 2007

If they put a CVS pharmacy there I will boycott CVS. :ban:

CMJ · January 25, 2007

No....the Tomato was the best place in Denton. Actually...I haven't found pizza out here I like as much either.

RIP Tomato.

NTPhiKap99 · January 25, 2007

No....the Tomato was the best place in Denton. Actually...I haven't found pizza out here I like as much either.
RIP Tomato.

Agreed there's nothing like Tomato pizza. Yet I really don't wanna get in a week long best pizza debate. So can we just leave it at this is a sad day and move on.

Green Crazy · January 25, 2007

All of this is unfortunate. The Tomato and Mr Chopstix were good for atmosphere but it's really not that bad. Chopstix had the tendency to make people violently ill, plus there's better pizza in Denton than The Tomato (J&J's).

Bite your tongue!! I've never had better pizza anywhere, especially Denton. That's crazy talk.

the real grad88 · January 25, 2007

The Tomato on Fry Street is approaching the end of its time at its current location, marking the end of an era for NT students, visitors and Denton residents. The Tomato and several other businesses are preparing to relocate or shut down because of the recent acquisition of the properties by United Equities, Inc. We here at the Daily are saddened by the upcoming changes to Fry Street, but even more so at the failed attempts to stop them.
Where else will NT students go to eat greasy, expensive yet delicious pizza at midnight in an atmosphere filled with crappy metal music and acrid cigarette smoke?
Where else can we go to drink until we can't walk and then hope our buddies are sober enough to help us hobble our way home to our house, apartment or dorm?
And of course, where else can we go to laugh at high school-age, wannabe punks in Hot Topic gear and dirty vintage shirts who injure themselves on skateboards and attempt to bum cigarettes off of bar patrons?
Denton seems to be destined to become like so many other cities in Texas - a tangled mess of interstate loops, chain stores and never-ending road construction. It's quite possible that in the future, it may not really matter what town you choose to go to school at. They're all the same! It will become increasingly important for NT to make itself stand out in an ever-growing sea of fast food joints and family-friendly establishments.
It's not like NT students are going to stop congregating altogether. People will move on and take their money elsewhere. Maybe this will bode well for the other businesses in Denton. People will probably end up going to the businesses that will be set up among the ruins of old Fry Street. But why bother? One Starbucks or CVS Pharmacy is the same as any other.
The end of Fry Street doesn't have to spell the end for the businesses there. Mr. Chopsticks is a fine example, which manages to not just survive but thrive at its new location. Hopefully the myriad of shops of Fry Street will follow its example.
Within a few weeks, the Fry Street we know and love is set for major changes. So go out tonight and buy a comic book, grab some coffee, eat some pizza and drink a beer for all those NT students who will come after you - those who will never know how awesome Fry Street used to be.

"It's not like NT students are going to stop congregating altogether. People will move on and take their money elsewhere. "

Maybe they will congregate inside Fouts Field! I spent a lot of time on Fry Street as well, and I will miss it. However, I for one am hoping that the culture of UNT continues to change to become more "main stream". The "all people for themselves" mentality that has existed through much of UNT's history has greatly held us back in terms of athletic support. Getting an engineering school and law school are helping change the culture as well. Hopefully it will generate more school spirit and support for athletics...which is the one thing all UNTers can and should congregate around. It's what most other big-time schools do, and it appears to be working for them. I'm ready for UNT to experience some of that. Down with the old and up with the new!

Edited January 25, 2007 by the real grad88

ColoradoEagle · January 25, 2007

Agreed with grad88. Those buildings aren't anything special, and have no need of being preserved. The whole perimeter of the school needs to be redone; this is just the first step.

Oh, and also, J&J's is much better than The Tomato. It's not even a contest.

Edited January 25, 2007 by ColoradoEagle

NorthTexan95 · January 25, 2007

I was never impressed by Fry Street when I was at UNT in the early 90's. The Tomato was ok, I enjoyed eating at the State Club (I believe that's what it was called) but I never really found another reason to go there except when driving to that side of campus. I'm actually looking forward to the change and won't miss Fry Street at all.

For those who worry about missing the "atmosphere" as described in the article ... I say good riddance. Don't worry though, that culture won't go away. It'll simply move on somewhere else.

trud1966 · January 25, 2007

No....the Tomato was the best place in Denton. Actually...I haven't found pizza out here I like as much either.
RIP Tomato.

Went to UNT in the late 80's, LOVED Tomato. It was pretty cheap for a poor college student, so it saved my life a few times. Food was good, place was always dirty though. Who puts carpet in a pizza place? Just seemed nasty at times. Maybe it was re-done later, not sure.

NTPhiKap99 · January 25, 2007

I was never impressed by Fry Street when I was at UNT in the early 90's. The Tomato was ok, I enjoyed eating at the State Club (I believe that's what it was called) but I never really found another reason to go there except when driving to that side of campus. I'm actually looking forward to the change and won't miss Fry Street at all.
For those who worry about missing the "atmosphere" as described in the article ... I say good riddance. Don't worry though, that culture won't go away. It'll simply move on somewhere else.

Now your making me miss state club. I agree the area needed to change I loved the bars on Fry Street and spent way too much time there. But the on thing I hated was walking by the people who congregated there. Most of them aren't students and think thats just the place to be. Anything we can do to improve the quality of the area surrounding the campus I'm 100% on board with. Drive the hippies out.

EagleD · January 25, 2007

What is the possibility of the square downtown becoming a big hangout? The great thing about Fry is that it's right next to campus. I'm bummed. I spent many a drunken night on Fry Street. It's where I experienced my favorite college band, "Ten Hands".

Sitting in the Tomato, staring out at Fry Street, splitting a pitcher with my friends on a hot summer day in '87, is when I decided to go to NT.

Bummer.

WIFE2HOT4U · January 25, 2007

In the late 90's Fry was not that cool IMO

Other that the Fraternity hangouts & Cool beans I felt really out of place walking in the other bars because I did not fit in with the culture.

I felt like there were 2 choices @ UNT then - Either Fraternity / Sorority or Grudge (For a lack of a better word).

I found myself wondering where are the ave joes/janes? You know, not necessarily Fraternity or Grudge - just average people how are not too far to the "Left" or "Right".

UNT needs to appeal to the ave everyday person, not extreme right or extreme left.

I just don't see how this can be a bad thing even if it is a Walgreens, at least it will be new, clean and nice.

I for one and tired of the "Hippie sitn on the corner" Fry street persona!!

I thought I was a liberal until I went to UNT and rushed a fraternity .

I enjoyed the artistic aspect of our university but lets balance it out.

I hope they build a Starbucks! LOL

Stan R · January 25, 2007

I felt like there were 2 choices @ UNT then - Either Fraternity / Sorority or Grudge (For a lack of a better word).

I think you mean grunge, but hey, a lot of people have resentment. I'm not denying that. :rolleyes:

WIFE2HOT4U · January 25, 2007

See i can't even spell it...

LOL

GoMeanGreen1999 · January 25, 2007

If they put a CVS pharmacy there I will boycott CVS.

Go ahead and start your boycott - it is already in the works.

No....the Tomato was the best place in Denton. Actually...I haven't found pizza out here I like as much either.
RIP Tomato.

I have heard sooooooo many say the same thing. I like other pizzas more than Tomatoe's, but I know many who think it is the best out there.

meangreendork · January 25, 2007

There's charm that's being destroyed (or at least temporarily displaced) by this. I always liked the food at the Tomato, and while I do like J&Js, the square just doesn't lend itself to the same atmosphere as Fry Street used to. I can't really feel like I'm in a slightly run-down part of town with Granny's Ugly Antiques and Granny's Sister's Old People Clothing Store next door. Besides, we have 2 bloody Starbuck's already, we have a Walgreens or CVS or whatever the hell it is. What's next? GAP displacing a tattoo parlor? Making Voertman's move? I like GAP, but that store has NO place in Fry Street. I don't even like having Pita Pit (overpriced, way overrated), Jimmy John's (it's okay but still overrated), or that stupid bank (what the hell? a bank and coffee and Kolache Haus?) on Fry much less a big chain corporate coffee joint.

Again, I don't have a problem with big biz, I just don't think we need to turn Fry Street into a mini-Loop288. We don't need the traffic there and there's room enough for more big biz on 288. It's just not right, and there's an increasing challenge for small business owners because things like this.

ColoradoEagle · January 25, 2007

There's charm that's being destroyed (or at least temporarily displaced) by this.

Charm? It's some 80 year old buildings that haven't been kept up at all. The only business in those buildings that's even halfway worth keeping is The Tomato, and I'm sure they'll work something out eventually.

I can't really feel like I'm in a slightly run-down part of town with Granny's Ugly Antiques and Granny's Sister's Old People Clothing Store next door.

So you think having a campus perimeter that looks rundown is a good thing?

Besides, we have 2 bloody Starbuck's already, we have a Walgreens or CVS or whatever the hell it is. What's next? GAP displacing a tattoo parlor? Making Voertman's move?

Yes to all of it. That whole section of Hickory is ugly and run down. The businesses there haven't done anything to renovate any of it.

Again, I don't have a problem with big biz, I just don't think we need to turn Fry Street into a mini-Loop288. We don't need the traffic there and there's room enough for more big biz on 288. It's just not right, and there's an increasing challenge for small business owners because things like this.

It sounds like you have a huge problem with big businesses. If the tenants, or the owners of the current buildings, had spent the money needed to renovate those buildings, none of this would have ever come to pass. The Tomato is a nasty ass place to go to eat, and I think the other tenants are a comic book shop and a breakfast bar? Go look across the street from UT-Austin, or even SMU and TCU. TCU's strip is about like ours, but at least whenever I ate at Fuzzy's, it didn't feel like I should be looking for roaches in my food.

chrisfisher · January 25, 2007

Sorry... no love loss here. That area is historic, but in the bad sense (maybe archaic is a better word). Most of the business there are run down and dirty looking. I believe this new development comes at a perfect time given all the fantastic changes going on at UNT including a new football coach, new football team (recruits are piling in!), new football stadium, a new president, an improved (hopefully) basketball team, etc. I'm sure others can add to this list of great new things going on. UNT appears to be headed for big changes on so many different levels, and I wholeheartedly welcome all of these.

meangreendork · January 25, 2007

It'd be pretty backwards if I want to handle art direction on big-name client advertising but hated big business, wouldn't it?

No, I just don't think it really belongs on Fry. Starbucks is as generic-chain-business as you can get, and there's nothing wrong with it inherently, but I do understand how people feel about keeping Fry weird. It'd be the same if the weird, small shops in Austin all got replaced the same way. We know the buildings haven't been kept up, but that doesn't mean they can't be taken care of now. Too bad the right inspectors never got to check it out. Ideally, the area could've been saved by repairing the old buildings and cleaning up those terribly nasty nooks and crannies of the area, but that didn't happen. Or at least saving a place for the businesses losing space.

There's a misunderstanding about "run-down". Let's go with vintage. Point being, new buildings with modern architecture or even buildings designed to look like vintage buildings (see Southlake Town Center) feel very, very sterile. They're so manufactured and assembly line in appearance because that's what they are. They're the same stores and restaurants you'll find in any town. Another poster said that UNT needs to stand out from the other schools, and if it's got the same Starbucks, etc next to it, that's another selling point the school doesn't have. Students come to a school for more than just academics and athletics, and any unique point about the town that you can sell should be preserved. It's kind of like how Dallas (as much as I like it) pales to Austin in terms of uniqueness. I would've ended up at UT if the people there weren't as cold, the campus weren't as bloody huge, and the cost not as high. UNT's getting a good balance with the art/music program, biz, sciences, arts, and athletics, I think this would help improve it.

But please, not another Starbucks...get some other competing company at least It's like Gamestop where's like, 4 of them in 1mi in Lewisville near the mall.

ColoradoEagle · January 25, 2007

Starbucks is as generic-chain-business as you can get, and there's nothing wrong with it inherently, but I do understand how people feel about keeping Fry weird. It'd be the same if the weird, small shops in Austin all got replaced the same way.

You really haven't been to Guadalupe lately, have you? It's very commercial, and most of the smaller businesses were forced out years ago.

We know the buildings haven't been kept up, but that doesn't mean they can't be taken care of now. Too bad the right inspectors never got to check it out. Ideally, the area could've been saved by repairing the old buildings and cleaning up those terribly nasty nooks and crannies of the area, but that didn't happen. Or at least saving a place for the businesses losing space.

I'm sure the company who bought the land looked at the best ways to maximize their profits, and found that renovating those old buildings would be more costly than tearing them down and putting a CVS there instead. I'm not really sure what the market is for a CVS next to a college campus, but whatever.

There's a misunderstanding about "run-down". Let's go with vintage.

Run-down, vintage, whatever you want to call it, it looks junky.

Point being, new buildings with modern architecture or even buildings designed to look like vintage buildings (see Southlake Town Center) feel very, very sterile. They're so manufactured and assembly line in appearance because that's what they are. They're the same stores and restaurants you'll find in any town. Another poster said that UNT needs to stand out from the other schools, and if it's got the same Starbucks, etc next to it, that's another selling point the school doesn't have.

Actually it becomes a selling point the school does have. People, especially 18 year olds fresh out of HS and away from mom and dad, like to feel closer to home. Having stuff they recognize close to the campus, like Starbucks, Jack in the Box, Subway, Taco Cabana, whatever, makes them feel closer to home. Also by making the perimeter of the campus look better, it becomes easier for the school to be mentioned in the same breath as UT-Austin, A&M, and Tech. Ideally the whole north and south sides of the campus would be thriving with new businesses. This will bring in your students from more well off areas like Southlake, Frisco, Plano, Allen, etc who grew up focused on their city's HS sports and will transition over to North Texas sports. I think the vocal minority are making Fry Street sound like this amazing utopia in Denton, when it's really one step above your average rundown area of Dallas or Fort Worth.

Edited January 25, 2007 by ColoradoEagle

GBarksdale · January 25, 2007

Now your making me miss state club. I agree the area needed to change I loved the bars on Fry Street and spent way too much time there. But the on thing I hated was walking by the people who congregated there. Most of them aren't students and think thats just the place to be. Anything we can do to improve the quality of the area surrounding the campus I'm 100% on board with. Drive the hippies out.

I've been a huge opponent of the renovation, mainly because Fry St./Hickory was a big part of my time at NT. Unfortunately, though, with the exception of the Tomato, most of the places where I hung out -- Green Derby, The Library, State Club, Jim's Diner -- are gone now. I felt lucky when I was a student that there was a cool area to get together with my friends, eat, drink and listen to good music just across the street from the campus. It was a great atmosphere, and I'd hate for future students to miss out on something like that during their college life.

But I'm becoming more ambivalent to this redevelopment project. Fry St. has really changed since I hung out there in the mid- to late-80s. Back then there wasn't a hippie problem. There were very few hippies at NT (although my girlfriend at the time was part of the nascent grunge movement). The crowds on Fry/Hickory were mainly students hanging out with friends, not the hippies and bums that people on this board talk about. And there were certainly no violent crimes as there are now. I was there recently and was appalled at how trashy and run-down the place has become. I truly hate to see the place turn in to basically a strip mall, but I also hate to see it degenerate into a hole and burn-out magnet.

Daddy Dumpsalot · January 25, 2007

Drive the hippies out.

AMEN!

the real grad88 · January 25, 2007

I've been a huge opponent of the renovation, mainly because Fry St./Hickory was a big part of my time at NT. Unfortunately, though, with the exception of the Tomato, most of the places where I hung out -- Green Derby, The Library, State Club, Jim's Diner -- are gone now. I felt lucky when I was a student that there was a cool area to get together with my friends, eat, drink and listen to good music just across the street from the campus. It was a great atmosphere, and I'd hate for future students to miss out on something like that during their college life.
But I'm becoming more ambivalent to this redevelopment project. Fry St. has really changed since I hung out there in the mid- to late-80s. Back then there wasn't a hippie problem. There were very few hippies at NT (although my girlfriend at the time was part of the nascent grunge movement). The crowds on Fry/Hickory were mainly students hanging out with friends, not the hippies and bums that people on this board talk about. And there were certainly no violent crimes as there are now. I was there recently and was appalled at how trashy and run-down the place has become. I truly hate to see the place turn in to basically a strip mall, but I also hate to see it degenerate into a hole and burn-out magnet.

I was at UNT in the middle and late 80s as well and spent much time of Fry Street. Many of the people there were homeless or semi-homeless people looking for a free drink...or worse. The area had already gone way down hill even back then. It was the kind of place where parents see and then talk their kids out of going to UNT because it is so close, they perceive it to be a part of campus life...not good. I am over the sadness now. I think NT is embracing a new future in a lot of respects...this is one of them.