TEXARKANA, Ark. - The Dugout, the baseball-themed burger joint in Texarkana, Arkansas, is relocating to a larger space nearby.
The Ta Molly's Mexican restaurant located on the Arkansas-side has closed and the Olivers, the owners of The Dugout, decided it suited their needs. Their current space is too small for the level of demand they are now experiencing.
"If you come in any day at lunch, we are crowded," said David Oliver. "Too crowded. Faithful customers and good word of mouth has driven business. Lots of people continue to discover us. We could expand the current dining space, but we would need a bigger kitchen and staff to serve them. So, the new space opened and we are making the move."
David Oliver and his wife, Nicki, said they prayerfully considered the move and concluded it was the right one to take.
"Six thousand square feet versus 2,000," Nicki said. "The kitchen over there is the size of our dining room at our current spot."
Ta Molly's closed three months ago. Work has begun on the new Dugout location and the Olivers aim for a mid-August opening.
"We plan on adding menu items," Nicki said. "Boiled and fried shrimp, frog legs, grilled shrimp, too. We've had lots of requests for the shrimp."
Baseball is a big part of the atmosphere of The Dugout. Not only is the interior decked out with accoutrements of the game, but much of the menu is themed on the sort of food one can buy at a baseball game. The hot dogs especially have that ballpark feel.
"The whole family are fans of the game," David said. "I've coached little league, baseball and softball, for over 20 years. All of our kids have played coming up. All we do is watch baseball."
"We've done many road trips to see the Rangers," Nicki said. "Including seeing them versus Colorado at Coors stadium."
The Olivers thank the customers for making the move possible.
"We were told when we began this that 75 burgers sold daily would be needed to profit," Nicki said. "That sounded difficult. Now, not so much."
(The Dugout is at 3809 E. 9th St., Suite 5. The new place will be the former Ta Molly's location in the same plaza.)