By Moses Leos III

A $6 million entertainment complex, complete with pinball and video games, will be on its way to Buda this summer.

Pinballz Kingdom, the brainchild of Austin entrepreneurs Darren and Mikki Spohn, plans to bring family fun to what has been an aging relic – the old Dorsett 221 Truck Stop on Interstate 35 north. 

“It’s going to be an entertainment and tourist attraction,” Darren Spohn said. “It will put Buda on the map and give locals at place to eat, drink and play.” 

Last month, the Buda Economic Development Corporation (EDC) gave the go-ahead to bring Pinballz to Buda. 

The complex will feature a spread of more than 200 video, ticket redemption, air hockey, cabinet basketball and pinball games. 

But the gaming aspect is the tip of the iceberg for the Spohn’s. 

In addition, they plan to build out on the 13-acre property. It could include an indoor and outdoor laser tag arena and bowling alley. Darren hinted at the possibility of miniature golf and go-karts in the future.  

“We have a long list of things coming in,” he said. “How fast it will happen depends on how long it takes to make money.” 

The establishment will feature a full kitchen, a pizza oven and a full bar. 

Buda EDC Executive Director Ann Miller said the Spohn’s worked with the corporation since April 2013. The married couple, who own Pinballz Arcade in Austin, sought a larger area to bring a similar arcade style attraction. 

However, they wanted a location that didn’t have the zoning or permitting hassles of Austin. 

One aspect that drew the Spohn’s to Buda was the smaller atmosphere. But the city’s less restrictive permitting process was another plus. 

Ultimately, the Spohn’s chose the Dorsett property, in large part because of the location’s high visibility. 

“It was perfect; it’s a crossroads area,” Spohn said. “Buda is a developing town. It’s a great place to grow [our business].”

The road to opening the business wasn’t always smooth, the couple learned.

Several obstacles got in the way, beginning with concerns surrounding the environmental quality of the Dorsett property. 

In September 2003, a Texas Commission for Environmental Quality compliance evaluation found two violations regarding leakage from underground storage tanks. TCEQ conducted a follow-up in April 2005, soon after Dorsett’s closed shop. Eight storage tanks were removed from under the property; no contaminants or violations were found in the subsequent investigation. 

“If [the property] didn’t pass environmental check, we didn’t want to get it,” Spohn said. “Everything is cleaned up. If we had to clean it up, it would have been cost prohibitive.” 

A second issue was the property’s interior. Time and decay have ravaged the Dorsett 221 truck stop since its closing. The deterioration forced a complete renovation of the interior — at a cost of about $400,000.

“When we got there, the building was in shambles,” Spohn said. “The ceiling tiles were falling in, all of the copper had been robbed from place. It was a total rebuild. We gutted the place.” 

The Spohn’s petitioned for funding from the city and Hays County toward renovations. 

What will remain unchanged is façade of the structure. Spohn plans to use the castle exterior to play with a medieval theme. 

The adaptive reuse of the property is encouraging for Miller and the EDC. She says it’s vital for Buda because of its limited land space for outward growth. 

“Adaptive reuse benefits a community because the property will not only continue to generate property tax revenue, but will also generate new sales tax revenue for the community,” Miller said in an emailed response. 

According to Spohn, incentive negotiations are still ongoing with the EDC, which offered the Spohn’s $62,000 toward economic development; so far, neither side has come to an agreement. 

No performance agreements have been agreed upon yet, either. Miller said she couldn’t disclose sales tax projections, as they are a part of the incentive negotiations. 

Pinballz, which is a “destination retailer” according to Miller, could bring Buda higher sales tax numbers across the board, specifically from non-residents. 

“Destination retail attracts visitors, which may visit other local businesses thus creating a multiplier effect on revenue for a community,” she said. 

Spohn aims for a June opening. 

“These towns need something like this,” Spohn said. “[A] unique arcade environment where families can play with their kids, and adults can have fun.”