Barbecue kingpin Terry Black’s is stepping away from the smoker and into the steam. The brand’s parent company, Black Family Hospitality, is planning a 9,800-square-foot public bathhouse called The Depths just off the Pearl in San Antonio, according to state project filings. The wellness complex is set to feature hot and cold pools, multiple cold plunges, a salt float, steam and cold-mist rooms, high-end locker rooms, and treatment rooms. Construction is slated to kick off in April and wrap up in June 2028.
Plans pulled from state filings
According to CultureMap San Antonio, which reviewed Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings, the 9,800-square-foot complex is expected to include two hot spas, two cold spas, two cold plunges and a large linear spa, plus massage rooms and full locker-room amenities. The listing pegs the site at 1411 Alling St and notes that the usual caveat applies: filings are subject to change. CultureMap also reported that it was still unclear whether the bathhouse will serve alcohol.
Part of a larger Pearl-area build
The Depths would sit near a broader Black Family Hospitality project at 2100 Broadway, which is set to deliver Terry Black’s first San Antonio restaurant, another restaurant concept, and a boutique hotel. As reported by Chron, the group bought the 1.4-acre site in 2021 and previously said the development would include underground parking and multiple dining concepts. Taken together, the plans help explain why the company is opening a sizable wellness outpost rather than a small neighborhood spa.
A national trend with a local echo
Boutique saunas, cold-plunge clubs, and communal-bathing spots have become a full-on wellness trend in major U.S. cities, with outlets pointing to a surge in high-end bath and recovery concepts. Condé Nast Traveler has highlighted the boom, and San Antonio’s own Camp Hot Wells, a compact hot-spring soak-and-wine destination that opened in early 2023, suggests there is local appetite for soaking-centric escapes. San Antonio Current covered that opening and its private soak experiences.
What to watch next
Plenty of key details still depend on permits and final design. As CultureMap San Antonio notes, state filings can shift, and Black Family Hospitality had not yet responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting. Expect permits, accessibility inspections and additional site-plan filings to surface in the coming months as the project moves toward its planned April construction start.
