Gun Barrel City is about to get a lot smokier. Soulman's Bar-B-Que is headed to town, according to state records, with plans for roughly $300,000 in work to remake a nearly 2,800-square-foot space at 938 West Main. Construction is scheduled to kick off tomorrow, with a target finish of July 3. The site, a former Whataburger, has been listed as closed in online location listings.
Project filing lays out scope and schedule
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation's architectural-barriers project page lists the job under ID TABS2026015590 and describes "remodeling of an existing restaurant to accommodate new tenant" for a 2,797-square-foot space with an estimated cost of $300,000. The filing names Hallett No. I LP as the owner, shows the work as privately funded and marked "review complete," and records a March 30 start with a July 3 completion goal, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Chain footprint and what it serves
Soulman's traces its story back to a Pleasant Grove restaurant that opened in 1974 and now runs about 20 locations across North and East Texas. The chain highlights hickory-smoked meats and generous portions on its menu, according to Soulman's. The Gun Barrel City restaurant would nudge the brand deeper into lake country southeast of Dallas, extending its reach beyond nearby Mabank. Local coverage first spotted the TDLR filing and pointed to the town's distinctly Texan vibe, as reported by MySA.
From fast food to barbecue
The address at 938 W Main previously housed a Whataburger, which now appears as closed on the chain's location page. Turning that familiar drive-through footprint into a full-on barbecue spot will likely involve kitchen updates and accessibility tweaks, the kinds of steps outlined in the project's remodeling scope. The buildout could translate into seasonal construction work now and new service jobs later for a town that sees visitor traffic swell during lake season, and the former listing is still visible on Whataburger's location page.
For the moment, the budget and timeline live only in public filings and could shift as permits move along. MySA reported the initial story yesterday and noted that it had reached out to Soulman's for comment, as reported by MySA. We will be keeping an eye on local permit records and on-site notices as the March 30 construction date approaches.
