The city of Lewisville announced Tuesday that it has completed a deal to bring a beer garden and food truck stop to a key downtown corner.
The new business will transform the former Salvation Army building — located at the intersection of Charles and Main streets, directly across from the Old Town center — into an indoor and outdoor dining and gathering space, according to a city news release. The yet unnamed eatery is the brainchild of developer John Williams — the man behind the popular craft beer bars Eastside, Miss Angeline’s and Oak Street Drafthouse in Denton — and his team.
“The venue proposed by Old Town Craft LLC will be a great addition to Old Town,” said Lewisville Planning Director Richard Luedke. “The adaptive reuse of this unique property will complement the growing list of entertainment and restaurant options available for residents and visitors alike and add to the distinct character of Old Town.”
Williams said the Old Town establishment will be similar in concept to East Side and Miss Angeline’s, with an array of whiskey, tequila and an extensive list of house and tapped cocktails. He said it will be perfect for date night or just casually catching up with friends.
“We are thrilled to bring our concept to Old Town,” said Williams. “The property itself is what excites us the most. The lot already has a ton of mature trees, and the grounds will be converted into a beer-garden type atmosphere with food trucks, a large outdoor jumbotron, outdoor gaming, and beer garden style seating throughout.”
Williams said the outdoor seating area will be kid-friendly until 9 p.m., and the facility always will be dog-friendly. The property will include free-standing art pieces, some uniquely Texas images, and bright murals painted on portions of the exterior.
“Art provides a means to express imagination in non-grammatical ways,” said Williams. “Art stimulates creativity and boosts self-esteem. Without art, life would be boring.”
The bar will open out to a lushly landscaped yard where tables will be surrounded by art installations created by local artists. Along with the ping pong, cornhole and giant Connect Four games, the facility will feature an entirely enclosed patio area where native Texas vines such as yellow honeysuckle and crawling yellow roses will be trained to grow along the fence.
Williams said in addition to the food trucks, he is hoping to have a pop-up kitchen located inside one of the buildings and have nights where he invites local restaurateurs to come in and feature a couple of items off their menu.
This new craft beer garden and food truck eatery is expected to employ 20 full-time staff and 10 part-time staff. Construction will begin immediately with an expected opening in spring 2025, according to the city news release.
