Dart to the sale of Anheuser-Busch to Belgium’s InBev. We know, we know. No use crying in our beer, what with transnational business deals the norm these days, and foreign investors grabbing up our real estate as well as our Treasury bonds. Of course, Germany’s Daimler-Benz bought Chrysler a few years back, and we all know how well that has turned out. Aside from what all this portends about America’s declining place in the world and the future of Clydesdale commercials, it also raises perplexing philosophical questions. We’re still trying to figure out whether a Mercedes made in Alabama qualifies as a luxury foreign car, and now we’ve got another existential dilemma on our hands. Does this mean that good old Budweiser, that most patriotic of brews, will soon have to be classified as a European beer?
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Whatever you’re drinking or eating, it always seems to taste better when you’re sitting outside at a sidewalk table, enjoying the streetscape and watching the passing parade of humanity. Laurels to the Salisbury City Council for making that experience more accessible for downtown diners by relaxing the city’s regulations on sidewalk tables and eating areas. Some downtown eateries have already taken advantage of sidewalk dining. We hope others take this opportunity to expand our alfresco options. (Alfresco, incidentally, is Italian for “There’s a bug in my tea.”) Downtown Salisbury is a great place to stroll, to browse, to mingle with friends. It’s also a great place to sit and watch the world go by while enjoying good food, fine spirits (in moderation, of course) and conversation.
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While we’re on the food and beverage theme, laurels to the fact that Salisbury’s Starbucks dodged a grande bullet as the parent company identified 600 stores nationwide for closure. Although 10 were in North Carolina, the Salisbury shop wasn’t among them. It’s always good news when a local business keeps its doors open; in this case, it’s also an encouraging sign for the local economy overall. While redundant stores in larger cities made up the bulk of the targeted locations, it’s gratifying that Starbucks apparently still sees longterm potential in the Salisbury market. That’s what attracted the Seattle-based company to East Innes Street three years ago, and it apparently expects things will keep perking along.