AUSTIN — Of all the barbecue restaurants in Austin, Sam’s Bar-B-Que may be the new favorite.
“I've been here 43 years on this street on this corner in this neighborhood,” said owner Brian Mays.
Sam's Bar-B-Que is a tiny house in East Austin serving up beef with a side of history. It's a place Mays isn't ready to give up.
“I turned down $3 million last year. Last October, I turned down $3 million. Before that, I turned down $2.5 million. It isn’t about the money. It's about this business, about this community here,” he said.
Yet, so much of it these days is about money.
The Travis County Tax Assessor’s office values Sam's Bar-B-Que at $375,000.
Do the math. A developer was willing to pay nearly 10 times that appraisal amount.
This similar predicament faces businesses and families across Austin.
Money isn't all that's at stake here. There's history on the line. Families have lived here for decades, who have built businesses here.
Homeowner Bryan Fugate said, "It's getting harder and harder for people who live in the inner-city."
"It's good if you're going to sell. If you're going to stay, it’s going to be hard for a lot of businesses," said Diana Limon, owner of Diana’s Flower Shop.
Mays is the third generation of his family to run Sam's Bar-B-Que, a restaurant named after his grandfather. He was surprised to learn that after he took a stand, hundreds of others joined him.
People lined up outside his business after learning what he had done to support the business.
“I appreciate you all supporting me like this,” Mays said.
This proves that no matter how much changes, the love for the uniqueness that is Austin, does not.