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As a very on-brand Taurus™, I have a keen interest in food news. And I usually get my heart broken over it. Something new, fascinating or even just amusingly weird is currently being tested in "limited markets". But as far as I'm aware, Lubbock has never been included in that limited market.  I think that's unjust, as Lubbock would be a perfect place to gauge interest in new fast food items.

First, we are fairly isolated, making us an excellent control group.

Control groups are an important aspect of true experimental designs. The presence of control groups allows researchers to confirm that study results are due to the manipulation of independent variables (IVs) rather than extraneous variables.

In other words, since we wouldn't be likely to have fast food fanboys and girls driving in to try a new item, the restaurant could determine with more accuracy the average popularity and response to the item. Yes, I care enough about this subject to pull out the big science guns.

Second, Lubbock has an undeniable passion for food. In an article hilariously titled: "Eat, Pray, Lubbs", our food obsession is revealed to be pretty serious:

The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce reports Lubbock has more restaurants per capita than several of the largest cities in the United States – including Houston and Dallas to add some perspective.

A lot of restaurants means a lot of support from the community. I think it would be fair to push this a little further- it seems reasonable to also conclude that as a population we are accustomed to variety and like to try new things. And have you ever seen the line for a new chain restaurant here? I always give every new restaurant a couple months to calm down because I hate waiting for a table (again, its the Taurus thing, we demand constant comfort).

How do we stack up against current test markets? Columbus, Ohio is "America's Test Market", because its demographics reflect the overall demographics of the country and it is close to a major university. Lubbock's ethnic demographic is pretty close to average, but skews more Hispanic than the United States as a whole. But that group of folks has become more and more coveted by brands over the years.

Other important demographics include age, education and income but I can't imagine Lubbock is an outlier in those categories. Also, Lubbock like Columbus, has a major university. I really feel like we are an obvious choice.

In case you're curious, this was all brought on by McDonald's breakfast bagels making a comeback, in limited markets. I want my Steak, Egg and Cheese, please.

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