Local Applebee’s Shakes Up Bar Scene

With $1 mixed drinks and the promise of entertainment till 2AM, the College Station Applebee’s recently became a focal point for student nightlife. Located off Texas Avenue and behind Northpoint Crossing, the “neighborhood bar and grill” attracted a new demographic of patronage beginning last October with the introduction of $1 Margaritas to the restaurant chain’s menu.

The quiet restaurant known for historically catering towards middle America and white-collar happy hours saw college students crowding the restaurant until the doors closed at 2am. With the continuation of $1 Long Island Iced Teas and the addition of $2 bottles of Blue Moon in January, the restaurant has staked its claim among the “Places to Be” during a night out.

“The best part of this influx of students is that it doesn’t affect our usual patrons who clear out by around 9 p.m.,” said Fritz Christen, the general manager of Applebee’s. “Students don’t usually start arriving until about 10:30 or 11, and by then they’re drunk enough to actually want something off of the menu.”

For many students, it’s just a matter of convenience when deciding where to go out. “I live at Northpoint Crossing, so the walk is next to nothing,” said Claude Von Marsh, a senior history major. “I don’t have to worry about using Uber or having very far to walk once I’m intoxicated. Plus, the prices are about half the cost of World of Beer for the same quality.”

Other students seemed to prefer the atmosphere of the comfort restaurant as opposed to some of the clubs on Northgate. “For me it has a similar appeal to Logie’s: the ability to drink while being comforted by a sense of nostalgia,” said Katherine Benchmark, a junior philosophy major. “Sometimes I don’t want to crawl through people just to have a mediocre time and fall asleep with my ears ringing.”

While the reasons for going to “Club Bee’s” may be different, student patrons share a love for cheap drinks in a friendly environment. Applebee’s promises to challenge the hegemony of College Station nightlife by offering the comfort and price of drinking at home, without the shame associated with it.

 

—Netflix & Drill