A taste of irony on a slow news day

We liked the Taste of Texas restaurant. We liked them well enough, in fact, that the Gazette was one of their last catering jobs — so we say this with sincere respect for their ownership, staff, and loyal customers. After more than 20 years as a part of our community’s landscape, their decision to close is a real loss, and we join many in feeling gratitude for the memories they helped create.

That said, we can’t help but see a bit of irony — and a sign of the times — in how the closure of a beloved local BBQ spot suddenly attracted national attention, even overshadowing stories arguably more significant to McCook’s future. We all know the phrase “slow news day,” and the recent holiday weekend delivered a textbook example. With government offices quiet and big companies on pause, national newsrooms turned to social media for filler. That’s how the abrupt shuttering of Taste of Texas leapt from a heartfelt Facebook post to headlines in outlets as far-flung as The US Sun and Men’s Journal. It’s a curious moment when the fate of a single restaurant, however cherished, can eclipse far weightier changes happening right here at home.

The story was picked up by both KSN-TV and KLKN-TV, and even drew attention from a creative reporter at The U.S. Sun, who paired the TOT story with the shuttering of a barbecue joint in Roanoke, Virginia. A scraped version also appeared on Union Rayo—a news organization of questionable credibility—where it was oddly compared to the demise of a Los Angeles burrito restaurant.

Our community has witnessed closures, ownership changes and dramatic cutbacks before without nearly the same fanfare. The permanent closure of Fuller’s Restaurant was significant. The business had been a staple for travelers and locals since the 1940s, operating under several names during its nearly 70-year run—but it didn’t make national headlines. We saw the sale of Norris Avenue’s longtime anchor tenant, Sehnert’s Bakery — a James Beard Award winner. The change of ownership marked a seismic shift for downtown McCook, but that received little attention outside the state. Even Mac’s Drive-In, an icon of local life and a must-stop for visitors, has seen significant cutbacks in hours of operation, but again, no national headlines..

Yet it was the news of Taste of Texas alone that rocketed across the internet, amplified by news organizations hungry for anything to fill empty columns during a slow holiday news cycle.

There’s no disrespect in pointing out this irony. It says less about Taste of Texas than it does about how modern news works: social media posts increasingly drive what becomes “news,” while the truly consequential stories — the ones with ripple effects on our economy and identity — are all too often overlooked. It’s a cautionary tale for us as readers, too. We can’t depend on distant newsrooms’ algorithms to tell us what matters here. If we want coverage of the events that will define McCook’s next chapter, we’ll have to make sure we keep paying attention ourselves.