Jacob Duritsch, Ilana Leopold, Ali Sacopulos, Jay Simpson, and Michael Young Deena Varner ENGL 10600

4 December 2013 How Icons Affect Communities West Lafayette is a mid-sized community in Indiana that is home to Purdue University, a Big-Ten university, and Triple XXX which is a local burger joint. Triple XXX has been around since 1895, which is only about 20 years after Purdue itself was established. This means, that for about 118 years, it has been part of the Purdue college culture; it has been a popular point for members of the Purdue community and the Lafayette/West Lafayette communities to congregate. Being a popular place, Triple XXX plays a large role in the community by bringing people together through the communal pride that the residents have in it and it is important to showcase the restaurant, its fame, and its history to the local community because of its significance as an icon. Additionally, this caliber iconicity, of any establishment, can contribute to the successful social camaraderie of a city or community and greatly benefit the city in which it resides by boosting its tourism economy. Establishing an iconic place like Triple XXX is often happenstance, but there are also projects undertaken with a strategy of being an iconic place, like the Hard Rock Cafe, which was built with an eye toward celebrity. For big projects that are conceived to be iconic, developers and investors have to know at the beginning that the project will bring in world-wide attention. On the other hand, for communities fortunate enough to have a small, hometown iconic establishment like Triple XXX, a comfortable relationship is built over a long period of time that supports the local economy. The process of developing the iconic nature of the establishment is more organic than contrived, and these places are, at their core, community projects. Community projects are, at the point of conception, always local in orientation, a reflection of the social, cultural and welfare need of the community. (K.C., 91-100). Iconic structures form a storyline when built. Local residents enjoy more local iconic structures rather than mega iconic structures located throughout the state. This is due to the values that are invested in the development of the local establishment (K.C., 91-100). Many well known figures, many of whom are sports figures, have walked the streets of Purdue University and graduated. Triple XXX capitalizes on its symbiotic relationship with Purdue by drawing attention to well-known individuals who attended Purdue and naming certain menu items after them. Of course the restaurant serves delicious food to support the draw of business that the iconic nature of the restaurant provides. The community is able to benefit from the national fame of this restaurant. The presence of the restaurant in the community makes the community more interesting than if the restaurant did not exist. Triple XXX rallies the student community in their

pride for their university. It attracts daily locals, and national tourists want to visit the restaurant to experience the famous place. Camaraderie is chumminess: the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability (wordnetweb.princeton.edu). The food, together with the common knowledge of the individuals for whom menu items are named, provides an opportunity for common fellowship. It bridges a gap for strangers and they can relate to the place by items on the menu. The Duane Purvis All American Burger is the most popular item on the Triple XXX menu because of its bizarre addition of creamy peanut butter to the original cheeseburger. It was originally created by Duane Purvis who was an All American running back for Purdue University in 1933 and 1934 (Triple XXX familyrestaurant.com). This item adds a unique quality to the restaurant menu and makes the restaurant stand out. It has really contributed to the fame of the restaurant because it is truly one of a kind and has the ability to attract a diverse consumer audience. It is an experience that many alumni bond over and continually attracts people to the city. Triple XXX has a national reputation and is one of the only facts that people know about West Lafayette if they are not from the area. It has been featured in an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives which is a television show on the Food Network that explores small, local, famous restaurants across America and educates the audience about restaurants histories and popular menu items. Its purpose being to show that small, local businesses are sometimes unknown to the world, but are home to some of the best food out there and have been serving their respective communities for years. The many interviews that the host, Guy Fieri, has with both employees and customers during the episode, shed light on the iconic role that Triple XXX plays in the community and reveals personal anecdotes and first hand experiences that speak to its popularity and influence on students, residents and visitors alike.. Additionally, the fact that the show chose to do a segment on Triple XXX in the first place speaks to its significance and shows how its name has spread nationwide. It has also been featured on the television show Fine Diners and in newspaper articles and brochures around the country. In fact, Triple XXX is responsible for much of the tourism in West Lafayette. As the fame of local icons, like this one, grows over time, more tourists and attention are attracted to the cities in which they are located. When this occurs, people come to the city to see the icon, and then the city gains fame and can undergo major changes. With increased tourism, local businesses other than the icon itself thrive and the economic status of the city can be enhanced. When landmarks like Triple XXX emerge in a town or city, they become competition for other businesses. At first glance, businesses with which the icon competes might wish the competition were not there. However, the landmark can actually enhance business for other establishments, as well (Stynes). For example, people who visit the city to eat at Triple XXX might stay in West Lafayette for a few days, and they will not want to eat at Triple XXX for every meal. Therefore, they will

also try other restaurants, benefiting those businesses, as well as patronizing businesses that provide other types of goods and services. Social facilities are often enhanced as well because of additional economic resources created by increased tourism. In this way, tourism cities can benefit greatly from the people visiting their town (Kim et. al). It should be noted that there are arguments that increased tourism is not necessarily a positive thing for a city. For example, some argue that increased tourism can overcrowd a city that did not necessarily evolve to accommodate all the people who might visit. Some argue that increased tourism brings with it social vices that might not be present in a town without the extra visitors, either because of social norms that differ from that of the town itself or simply because of the increase in population due to increased tourism. Some may also argue that increased tourism can destroy the local culture. This argument might have additional weight if the ratio of tourists to the local population becomes especially large (Kim, et. al). Luckily for West Lafayette, Triple XXX has not proven to offer any of the negative impacts of tourism because it is not a reason for permanent residence. Most of the tourists of West Lafayette wish only to visit the town and do not plan to move into the community. Instead, the restaurant enhances the local experience of visitors to the city, and in turn, West Lafayette reaps solely the benefits associated with a tourism economy. Having a local icon can also enhance philanthropy in a city. With the increased success of the business, the owners can afford to participate in supporting philanthropic efforts (cof.org). They might support local efforts to raise money for the many needs of the community. These efforts can take the form of direct monetary contributions, or they can take the form of providing a rallying point around the icon to invite other community members to also support the activity. These philanthropic acts serve to further make the restaurant popular within the community because they are seen as a benevolent business that truly cares about the community that it is in. Not only has this iconic restaurant brought fame to the area, but it has also instilled a sense of camaraderie throughout the community. It has provided a place for congregation where customers can experience a sense of community. This has positively influenced the West Lafayette area by creating a connection between Purdue students and the population of West Lafayette. Triple XXX is a local staple in a community that is ever changing. The Purdue campus and the surrounding community has undergone and will continue to undergo continued change, but Triple XXX has remained the same. It has the same look and feel of an old diner; the only thing that changes is the menu. As they say, We were here before your mother was born (Triple XXX familyrestaurant.com).

Works Cited

Burgers. Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. The Food Network. 11 June 2007. Television. Glenn, Kreag. The Impacts of Tourism. seagrant.umn.edu. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. PDF. Ho, K.C. Where do community iconic structures fit in a globalizing city? Routledge 10.1 2006: 91-100. Print. "Increasing Impact, Enhancing Value."cof.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. Kim, Kyungmi, M. Joseph Sirgy, and Muzaffer Uysal. How does tourism in a community impact the quality of life of community residents? Tourism Management Vol. 36 June 2013: 527-40. Science Direct. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Stynes, Daniel. Economic Impacts of Tourism. msu.edu. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. PDF. Triple XXX Family Restaurant. TripleXXXfamilyrestaurant.com, 2010. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. Trustees of Princeton University. WordNet. 2013. Princeton University. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. <http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=camaraderie&sub=Search+WordNet&o 2=&o0=1&o8=1&o1=1&o7=&o5=&o9=&o6=&o3=&o4=&h=>.