Professional golfer Phil Micklelson is a fan of Five Guys Burgers. In fact Lefty was quoted as saying: “That place is so good. I can’t stop going there.” I am quite sure that Five Guys is a great place to eat a burger, but it is obvious that Phil has never eaten at Grumps in Granbury or Stephenville. Grumps features the best burger in the state of Texas, as far as I am concerned. One of the signs on the wall of this fine establishment says: “Friends don’t let friends eat fast food.”

Grumps is not fast food. You order your burger and homemade potato chips. And then you shell a few peanuts that are placed on each table as you patiently await for the fine cuisine that owner Collier Albright provides for his customers. Come to think of it not only do I like eating at Grumps, but Collier is just one of my favorite business owners in Granbury. I first became acquainted with him when I went through the Leadership Granbury program in 2004.

This week he hosted the Granbury Police officers along with members of the department’s Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association for an annual event known as: Tip a Cop. The Alumni Association is a non profit organization, so funds they raise through various efforts are used to provide the police department with specialized equipment. In recent years the association has assisted with the purchase of a dog for our K-9 unit, bicycles for bike patrol, and equipment for our reestablished honor guard.

During the Tip-A-Cop event some of the proceeds from the purchase of each meal go to the alumni association. The officers serve the meals and refill drinks in uniform, as they interact with patrons. Customers are encouraged to tip the officers/wait staff generously for a good cause. The alumni members clean tables and otherwise assist. It really is a unifying event for the entire city.

Interestingly enough I read an article this week about another restaurant proprietor who also hosted the police in his establishment. Well sort of…About three weeks ago a Portland police officer went into a café in his good city to grab a quick cup off coffee while he was on duty. He of course was in uniform. A customer approached the officer in the restaurant to tell him how much she appreciated the hard work of the Portland police officers. How nice… While that pleasant conversation was taking place one of the owners asked the officer to leave…. He told him that he felt “uncomfortable having a uniformed officer in his café.” The owner stated said this following the incident: “I never expected to have a police officer come into the place. If it happened again, I wouldn’t serve him.” The 9 year police veteran is well aware of tensions that exist between his department and the community.

I appreciate what he said during an interview following this incident: In regard to the police, he said: “We have a unique relationship with the community. You’re there to protect them, but on the other hand they don’t know what that involves. Being gracious is part of it. He has a good point.

In light of recent events in Portland, I am especially grateful for Collier Albright. He is indeed gracious. The generous hospitality that he extends to members of the Granbury Police Dept. year round helps forge good relations between law enforcement and the community as a whole. Maybe I should share the Tip A Cop program with the restaurant owner in Portland…I don’t think I will do that…But I do think that Collier should extend a special invitation to Phil Mickelson to eat at Grumps during the Crowne Plaza Invitational at the Colonial Country Club in May of 2011. I think Phil will say: “That place is so good. I can’t stop going there.”