Lubbock's Growth Debate: Chain Stores Vs. Local Charm

There are two versions of Lubbock, constantly at war with one another, and honestly, both of them kind of have a point.

One side wants growth. More chain restaurants. More entertainment venues. More jobs. More things to do after 9 pm besides aimlessly wandering around Walmart and going home with way more cat toys than three cats could need. These are the people who are excited anytime someone announces that a new business will be opening up shop in town. They want Lubbock to feel newer, bigger, and way more connected to the rest of Texas and the world.

The other side hears the word "growth" and has an absolute meltdown, immediately assuming somebody is about to ruin everything.

For a lot of people, "keeping Lubbock Lubbock" means preserving the weird charm that makes this place feel familiar and homey. They don't want every local spot replaced with luxury apartments nobody can afford and chain businesses that snuff out authenticity. They are the kind of people who enjoy spotting a friend every time they go grocery shopping.

The funny thing is that most people in Lubbock believe both of these things at the same time, and don't even realize it.

We want better roads, but we complain when the construction begins.

We want more local businesses, but we ignore the ones we have and keep buying from big chains instead.

We want growth, but only the kind that still makes this feel like a small town.

Unfortunately, we can't have our cake and eat it too. (I know. Bummer. Cake is delicious.)

That's the eternal Lubbock argument.

We all want the city to improve, but we're afraid of it changing too much.

I'd love to hear from you. Email me at Chrissy.Covington@townsquaremedia.com and tell me what you think about the new data centers, the disappearing brick roads of downtown, and any other hot-button topics on change in our town right now. I'd love to know your perspective.