Bond Between Grapevine And AA Tested By Possible Merger
GRAPEVINE (CBSDFW.COM) - The quaint streets of Grapevine paint a picture of small-town America. Like many small towns, the community often revolves around a big company.
Grapevine and American Airlines seem to share that special bond. "I think they bring a lot of economic value to Grapevine," explained resident, Michelle Allen. "They love to live here, it's close to where they work, and it makes them feel like it's home."
Many of AA's pilots and flight attendants call Grapevine their home. Talks of a merger between American Airlines and U.S. Airways seems to be welcome news to the locals.
American is likely to keep its name and more importantly, DFW is likely to remain the company's main hub if a merger came together.
That's good news for businesses along Main Street that have grown accustom to serving American employees. "If they were to move, it would have a tremendous affect on my business," said Kim Newton, who owns the Back Porch Bar.
Brett Kinzel owns Napoli's Italian Cafe. "They fly all over. They come back and they want to relax," said Kinzel. "They want to enjoy their community. We feel we're a part of that as well as everybody on Main Street," he added.
Grapevine is not the only small town that depends on AA employees. Southlake, Keller and Trophy Club have also become favorites among employees looking to settle down before taking off on another journey.
