Lubbock, What Would You Like To See In The Old Hooters Building?

While there are certainly worse eyesores than the former Lubbock Hooters location (4950 S Loop 289), which closed mid-2024, any building sitting unoccupied for too long will eventually start to fall apart and look terrible. So the hope is that a great business will take the building over (or at least the space), but what should go in this high-traffic, very visible spot?

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Another Restaurant Or Bar?

This seems like the obvious choice, since the building was designed to accommodate those needs, including a commercial kitchen area, etc. The building is pretty large at a little over 7,000 square feet, so it would need to be a restaurant or bar that would have enough volume to pay for the space (and the utilities associated with it). 7000 square feet is a sweet spot for full-service casual dining chains, but is Lubbock already too saturated with concepts like these? Is there any chain that would be exciting and popular enough to get our (rather jaded) attention?

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Concepts that could possibly work: "daytime" spots (think: brunch), experimental/ cutting edge spots (like fusion foods, fixed-price full-service all-you-can-eat, or dining with an arcade or other entertainment), or a "Neighborhood Hangout" like a pub or wine bar restaurant concept.

A Family-Friendly Entertainment Spot?

Perhaps food could stay in the equation, but would this area be better served with a primarily family-focused entertainment spot? An immersive experience, like interactive games, VR, sensory experiences, or even sports, could be a good fit here (though options would be somewhat limited by the interior space).

 Something Completely Different?

Just because it had a kitchen doesn't mean it still has to have food at all. The building could serve as a retail space, or even a business/ office space. Of course, if the building is torn down, the area could be practically anything willing to share a parking lot with neighboring businesses.