16 August 7 - 13, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents hummus and Korean fried chicken. From the noods section ($21-$25), there’s udon carbonara with smoked pork belly, corn and miso ravioli and shrimp and lon- ganiza sausage dumplings. There’s also a wood-fired section — which, by the way, wood-fired grills are hav- ing an amazing year — where you can get A5 beef ($49), a 20-ounce dry-aged cowboy rib- eye with a tare glaze, papaya salad and pea- nuts for $99. Romano beans are also given the fire treatment over the grill and are served sprinkled with beef bacon furikake. The drink menu has yet to be published, but the photos show that the bar is well stocked with Japanese whisky. Yeah, we’re excited to try this spot. It looks fun — perhaps the most fun Duro has had with a spot. They’ve earned some serious cred in the culinary world and have earned the right to take some out-of-the-ordinary liberties. We’ll certainly report back soon with a first look after they open on Aug. 1. ▼ OUT OF STATE INVASIVE SPECIES IN THE SMALL TOWN OF PALMER LAKE IN COLORADO, A PROPOSED NEW BUC-EE’S HAS A TOWN DIVIDED, WITH A BILLIONAIRE TAKING SIDES. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS A pparently, not everyone wants a 70,000-square-foot convenience store with dozens of gas pumps, beef jerky and Beaver Nuggets in their back- yard. The WSJ recently documented a fierce storm in the foothills of the Rocky Moun- tains as Texas-born travel stop Buc-ee’s eyes a new home south of Denver in Palmer Lake, a town with about 2,500 residents. One op- ponent is billionaire media mogul John Malone, who wrote an op-ed in Colorado Springs’ The Gazette: The expansive prairie-to-peaks views of Greenland Ranch along I-25 between Larkspur and Monument can include sightings of native Colorado wildlife such as bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, elk, black bears and mountain lions. But an in- vasive species from Texas threatens the last major piece of protected open space on the Front Range: a ball-capped beaver named Buc-ee that serves as the mascot for a chain of supersized gas stations. Malone is America’s second-largest land- owner, and his mission is to preserve the Wild West culture. The WSJ suggests that the fight “has become an epic battle over the soul of the American West.” Buc-ee’s has acquired a cult-like follow- ing since its first store opened in the early ’80s. One (myself) could argue Buc-ee’s has enhanced travel through large states like Texas, offering a place where families or lone travelers can stop for a clean restroom break and let the dog (or kids) run around. The store sells fudge, beef jerky and brisket sandwiches and, honestly, a bit of sanity with bathrooms that have set a new stan- dard for every public restroom in America. This last point can’t be emphasized enough: Prior to a Buc-ee’s being on our route to the coast and the grandparents’ house, we saw things we could never unsee at pit stops. Now, the main road arteries that cut through the state, pumping travelers north and south, east and west, are dotted with Buc-ee’s. As soon as you leave one, a black sign with white lettering usually tells you the miles to the next one. Hashtag blessed. In addition to new roads and infrastruc- ture, Buc-ee’s usually attracts more busi- nesses. Take, for instance, the store north of Temple along Interstate 35. Previously, the only option for a break in that area was a gas station on the west side of the interstate. It was not great. Since Buc-ee’s opened, sev- eral new businesses have opened, including a Starbucks and a McDonald’s. Whether or not that’s a good thing or bad largely de- pends on your perspective. An analysis by the Younger firm esti- mates that Beaver’s economic impact on the state’s annual revenue is $641 million, not to mention local jobs that start at $15 an hour. Alas, Colorado ain’t having it. O ne of the main problems is that Buc- ee’s wants to set up in a sparsely populated area, as it’s wont to do. Many of the people who settled in this stretch of land south of Denver did so for that very reason: the peacefulness. They’re not too keen on bright lights, traffic and noise pollution the massive travel stop will bring, despite the millions of dollars it will infuse into the local economy, including more than 200 jobs. According to the WSJ, the chain plans to build on 41 acres of “underdeveloped land of pine trees and grass.” But Buc-ee’s needs mu- nicipal water, which the land doesn’t have, meaning it will need to annex Palmer Lake’s supply. In return, the small town could ex- pect at least a cool million in sales tax annu- ally, a 30% boost according to the report. Nevertheless, some locals don’t want the massive store on the horizon. Fair enough. But the fight between those for and against the new site in Palmer Lake has turned vicious; texts between the mayor and an acquaintance called protestors at a town meeting sex workers and “fat ass.” The mayor and that friend got in a personal dis- pute and the latter shared all those text ex- changes on social media, leading to the mayor’s resignation. There are signs, peti- tions, heated meetings and lawyers. The city council will make a final vote on the store later this summer, after the local planning commission finishes its full report. This isn’t the first time a Buc-ee’s has faced NIMBY opposition. Stores in South- west Florida and North Carolina also met similar opposition over pollution and traffic. Not everyone opposes the development in rural Colorado, however. A comment on the WSJ article points out that the area is al- ready being developed elsewhere. Byron Larson writes: “As a nearby Woodmoor resident, I find the anti-Bucee’s advocates to be unbeliev- ably irrational. The lies, distortions, and un- founded assertions are seemingly endless. A business there would take up a very small number of acres compared to the surround- ing open space. The tax benefits to Palmer Lake would represent a huge windfall. I don’t see anywhere near the outrage related to much larger housing and commercial de- velopment that are 2-3 miles to the south - on both sides of I-25. There are mitigations that can be done to minimize the impact for this specific project. For me, the residents of Woodmoor, the residents of Palmer Lake, and the residents of Black Forest — having a gas station and convenience store in that lo- cation would be a great convenience. There isn’t another one near that location.” Meanwhile, on a recent hot Wednesday night in the middle of nowhere (north of Temple, actually), it was quiet enough inside Buc-ee’s to hear the in-store sound system. David Allen Coe’s “You Never Even Called Me By Name” played and almost every per- son in the store mumbled the lyrics to them- selves. For a moment, surrounded by 27 flavors of beef jerky and beaver merch, per- haps I got a wiff of the soul of the Southwest. Leaving Buc-ees, we headed east on a back road, cutting through thousands of acres of farmland. It was pitch black for two hours, save for a couple of small towns. Pres- ervation or development — perhaps both can be true. At least we had a full tank of gas and snacks. Lauren Drewes Daniels Palmer Lake is at odds with Buc-ee’s plans. City of Ate from p15
