Students returning to Tuscaloosa after summer break might be surprised to find quite a few changes to their beloved Strip.
Several businesses have closed, opened or changed during the scorching months since school got out in May. Don’t worry. Student favorites such as Buffalo Phil’s and The Crimson Café are still going strong, and a few new establishments have made their homes on The Strip as well.
TCBY
In January, Strip Teas and Coffee, located on the corner of University Boulevard and Campus Drive, became The Strip’s first casualty due to issues with their landlord. Just weeks ago, a TCBY frozen yogurt bar opened at the location.
“TCBY is awesome,” said Karson Brooks, a sophomore majoring in chemistry. “Me and my friends absolutely love going there. We always kind of go crazy with the toppings, which kind of costs a lot in the end. But it’s definitely a new favorite.”
Q’doba Mexican Grill and Quiznos Subs
Other businesses to recently close on The Strip include Qdoba Mexican Grill and Quiznos Subs, both of which went under from economic issues, according to The Tuscaloosa News. Quiznos in Midtown Village also closed. Moe’s Southwest Grill will replace Qdoba, and Hungry Howie’s Pizza and Subs recently announced they will open a third store in the old Quiznos location on The Strip.
Little Italy and Smoothie King
There are a few other newcomers to The Strip, including the growing pizza joint Little Italy, which opened this spring.
Also making a new home on The Strip is Tuscaloosa’s third Smoothie King juice bar. The new store opened Wednesday in the recently completed SoHo condominiums building between BP and what was formerly The Jupiter.
The Dixie
Speaking of The Jupiter, yet another change is coming to University Boulevard. The iconic Tuscaloosa bar/club has been undergoing some serious remodeling and will fully reopen as The Dixie to welcome students back to T-Town. To some, the change is new and exciting, while others are more skeptical of The Jupiter’s evolution.
“I don’t know how long it’s been The Jupiter, but everyone knows where we are without changing the name of the bar,” said Colin Whitworth, a junior majoring in English.
“I am a little disappointed at the seemingly constant shift of business,” he said. “In a city that seems to thrive on things that are tradition, the constant and nonstop evolution of The Strip just seems out of place to me.”
