An abandoned movie theater along US Highway 87 in Fredericksburg — one still stocked with old Slurpee machines, dusty projectors and, according to one description, a hot dog left sitting for five years — is under contract to become a honky-tonk-style destination called Outlaw, featuring live music, film screenings and dining. The sale of the former Fritztown Cinema and Backyard Amphitheater property is expected to close in early September 2026.
The vision comes from three developers, one of whom is Luke Coffee, a Dallas-based actor, director and producer whose credits include NBC's Friday Night Lights and the football documentary Old Man Football, according to Rockhouse Films. Coffee announced his vision to revive the shuttered facility on social media on August 20, as reported by MySA. The outlet described the property as effectively abandoned and apocalyptic inside, still containing outdoor venue speakers and other leftover equipment from its cinema days.
What Outlaw Is Planned to Include
Per MySA's reporting, Outlaw is planned to include at least two movie theaters, a rooftop bar, a restaurant and multiple stages, alongside a 3,000-seat outdoor music venue. The concept also calls for a podcast and media studio, live concert recording operations, and possibly a movie soundstage. Developers say the site would offer experiential movie screenings, family and community programming, and artist incubator opportunities for local painters, singers, actors and musicians.
Coffee said the project is not about him, and that a team supports his vision for Outlaw. He said he hopes to make space for faith, community and storytelling reflecting the Hill Country, and told MySA he hopes to host Outlaw's first concerts within a few months.
Coffee's Capitol Riot Case and Its Resolution
Coffee was prosecuted for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. He has said he was praying and trying to de-escalate the situation during the protest, and disputes how his actions that day have been portrayed. He said he has been humbled by the fallout from his involvement and does not want his ties to the Capitol riot to overshadow Outlaw.
The legal chapter of that case appears to have closed. Federal prosecutors dismissed the assault charges against Coffee with prejudice in January 2025, roughly 40 days after a U.S. District Judge had found him guilty in a bench trial, according to Blaze Media. The dismissal came amid a broader federal policy shift: as of January 20, 2025, then-President Donald Trump had issued pardons or sentence commutations for nearly all 1,575 individuals federally charged in connection with the Capitol breach, prompting the Justice Department to dismiss pending cases nationwide, according to a Wikipedia tally of the cases.
A Theater's Long, Winding History
The building at 2253 S. US Highway 87 has a two-decade history under multiple names. Cinema Treasures notes that the structure originally opened in May 2005 as the Stagecoach Theatre before being renamed Fritztown Cinema after a temporary closure in 2013. EVO Entertainment Group, which later rebranded as Elevate Entertainment, acquired Fritztown Entertainment — including its four-screen cinema and a 2,500-capacity outdoor venue known as the Backyard Amphitheater — from original owner Sloan Ruth in January 2019, according to a PR Newswire release at the time. Fritztown Cinema, which had been the sole movie theater in the area, permanently shut down all operations and screenings in January 2023, leaving the venue vacant for more than three years before it entered contract for sale this month.
The property itself sits on a 5.07-acre parcel with a 12,320-square-foot building, according to a LoopNet listing, which also notes that Fredericksburg and surrounding Gillespie County draw approximately 1.5 million visitors annually — a tourist base that could support a large-scale entertainment venue.
Part of a Broader Fredericksburg Building Boom
Outlaw's arrival would land amid a wave of development reshaping Fredericksburg. Groundbreaking occurred in January 2026 on The Meuse, a 22-acre commercial project anchored by a 200-plus-room Kimpton hotel and 70,000 to 75,000 square feet of retail and dining space, as Hoodline previously reported. Developers have also announced The Lucille, a 240-unit luxury apartment complex on 14.28 acres along Friendship Lane, with initial residential move-ins slated for 2028. Together, the projects point to a town adding both rooftops and reasons to stick around after dark — something a revived cinema-turned-music venue could tap into if the sale closes as planned.
