TEXARKANA, Ark. - What was once a Salvation Army store will soon be something entirely different: a pool hall and rooftop bar.
And while The Hideout will be a place where all are welcome, says the Wright family, there's a cool, distinctive gangster motif at this project they're building - Jeff and Irma and their children - as they refurbish this vast space with a rustic feel to it and fresh, new mural work by local artist Darlene Taylor.
Situated at 311 E. Broad St. in the heart of the burgeoning downtown entertainment district, The Hideout sports a mural that evokes the artistic vision of Taylor and the nostalgic, bygone-era appeal that Irma and her family want.
Originally, this building was meant to store building materials for a nearby Wright project at the former Coliseum nightclub space a block away, but then they reimagined its purpose for something grander.
That mural establishes the ambience for the joint.
A bar is situated in the center towards the front on the first floor, along with an elevated stage area in the corner where the championship pool table will be located. If there's a pool tournament and it comes down to one more game, it's played here. There's an area where a live band can play on a retractable stage back by the mural.
The establishment name also adds to the gangster flair, of course.
"What's The Hideout mean? We got that from her," Jeff says about his wife, Irma. They thought it would be a good name for a club. Then there's a connection to the Texarkana downtown's past as home for seedier sorts of people, along with Jeff's affinity for documentaries about gangsters.
"We just want something that is fun, entertaining. It's appropriate for every age, 21 and above," Irma said.
They may incorporate live music but also gauge what the people want. They're near the Crossroads venue and right inside the entertainment district and resurgent downtown nightlife. Bars like the Railyard Saloon are nearby.
"That's what kind of sparked us to do this," Jeff said. They bought the Coliseum and they're converting it to high-end loft-style apartments, so they are invested in downtown.
The Wright's daughter Allison explains that El Frio Express a few blocks away will be the family's daiquiri business in what's formerly a Regions bank drive-through location situated behind Hopkins Icehouse.
That will come soon to add to the downtown's array of entertainment options.
"We do have the rooftop patio that has been completed," Allison said about The Hideout, pointing out that some of the people listed on those "WANTED" posters in the mural are folks they know. One sign says, "Wright Gang Escapes Again."
"Cityscape but with a touch of Texarkana in it," Allison said.
Allison explains that the stairs near the first-floor bar will ascend directly to the rooftop bar above. The family has worked on this project full-time since last year. It's been her father and brother, along with a couple of workers.
"We would like to be almost finished, but my husband and my son they do FEMA Any disaster they are busy doing FEMA," Irma said, noting they're aiming for possibly April, May or June to open The Hideout.
The El Frio project will open first, perhaps within the next month or so, they say. They'll have both indoor and outdoor seating there.
Back at The Hideout, the condition of the building was not promising at first. "You walked through water. You had to have boots on. The roof leaks and we had to put a whole new roof over the second floor over this portion here," Jeff said. They removed a ceiling grid and duct work.
"I think this building needed some help, some tender loving care for decades," Irma said. They say it was a Woolworth's at one point, having found signage to indicate this inside the building.
"We're going to put them back up on the walls," Jeff said, then talking about the nearly a dozen pool tables that will be arrayed across the first floor.
"Now each pool table will have a camera on it, and then there will be a big screen TV where you will be able to watch yourself play that game," said Jeff. "Or spectators will be able to watch you. Just a different twist to the same thing, that's all."
They'll add arcade games, things like that, activities for adults to do, including cornhole. Tabletops and seating will pepper the floor, too. To knock it out and finish it all up, plumbing and electric have yet to be done. They'll stain the concrete floor but otherwise leave it as is.
"We're not going to sand it or grind it or anything," Jeff said. "I don't want it to look like pristine, brand-new stuff because it's an older building." They think of it as rustic elegance. Look for them to utilize and reuse some of the items that have been stored inside the building for a long time, too.
"And then you'll be able to go upstairs. We'll have like a private bar upstairs, and then there's a rooftop patio," Jeff said. A big-screen TV will allow people to watch a game.
"It's not extraordinarily large. We want to make sure it goes good before we expand on that idea," Jeff said. Added Irma, "There's also room to expand it." All told, they estimate they have about 20,000 square feet to work with at The Hideout.
But for them, they see The Hideout as part of how Texarkana itself is growing, providing entertainment for every age, something to enjoy here and not elsewhere.
"I do also think, Texarkana it's growing and I think this comes with the growth, and our kids have to go out of town just to experience something like this," Irma said.