Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Austin: outlets, selling)

[86Greyhound]

Barnacle Bill's trio casting new anchor

San Antonio Express-News - Tuesday, August 2, 1994
Author: Lesli Hicks Express-News Business Writer

The three grandsons of the Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Inc. founder are expanding their company, Barnacle Bill's Seafood Inc., after only 18 months of operation.

The third-generation restaurateurs are preparing to open a second location at Loop 1604 and U.S. Highway 281. They said their flagship restaurant on the South Side at 402 S.W. Military Drive exceeded expectations.

"We intend to make it grow," said company President Paul Vance, 27, a Southern Methodist University business-school graduate who with his brother Jeff and cousin Scott Miller - both vice presidents - run the young company.

A third location is scheduled to open at the Fiesta Trail shopping center at Interstate 10 and De Zavala Road in January.

The Barnacle Bill's name was inspired by the trio's grandfather, who at 74 no longer is active in the barbecue business.

Bill Miller Barb-B-Q now is operated by Miller's three sons and a son-in-law, Louis Vance, who is father to Paul and Jeff.

"They have an opportunity here that's really super," the elder Vance said.

The father of Barnacle Bill's third executive is John Miller, one of three Bill Miller sons with an ownership and management stake in the company.

"We bought the company (Bill Miler Bar-B-Q) from our father 18 years ago," John Miller said. "He always told us that we should be in the seafood business."

He said he and his brothers helped the young men acquire the restaurant locations.

"But it's up to them to sink or swim," Miller said.

Barnacle Bill's serves fried and broiled cod, catfish and shrimp.

Customers order in a line similar to the one at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, but get a number and are seated while the food is prepared.

Drive-through service also is available.

The average individual ticket totals about $6.

The Barnacle Bill's on S.W. Military Drive is the company prototype at 5,000 square feet.

It employs about 50, but the second Barnacle Bill's likely will require 60 workers.

Starting wage is $4.50, 25 cents above minimum wage, and reflects a pay scale for which Bill Miller long has been known.

If the newest of the stores are as busy as the first, the third-generation restaurateurs could expand their chain to as many as eight locations in the Alamo City, Paul Vance said.

Austin is a potential future market, he said.

"We're really happy with how things have gone," Vance said.

His brother Jeff, 24, also graduated with a degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University. Scott Miller got a degree in economics from Texas A&M University.

Despite such educational pedigrees, the men hope they inherited their grandfather's Midas touch with food and fiscal matters.

Since its start in 1954, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q has grown to 51 locations, including one in Laredo, four in Austin and five in Corpus Christi. It employs 2,200 Texans.

[Sonny Chiba57]

I remember Elbee's ( I think that was the name ) magic shop about a block away from the Golden Star Chinese food place. I think it was on Guadalupe or Martin st. There used to be a grumpy old man there who wouldn't let you touch or look at anything unless you were going to buy. Made no sense. At that time the Golden Star had the best fried fish in town.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by THOMAS655

I have heard that Terrell Plaza on Austin Highway is to be demolished except for the Earl Abel's building. I do not know for sure what is to go in place of the center, but have heard something about a Super Target being built somewhere on Austin Highway. Has anyone else heard about this?

Originally Posted by ged_782

The rumor about a Target location has been floating around for the last few years.

As far as demolishing the western most portion of Terrell Plaza, that wouldn't surprise me. It looks like most of that side of the complex is vacant. When the current owners of the property bought it a few years ago (after which the Target rumors started), they stated that the layout of the buildings on the property did not make efficient use of the available land (there is a big parking lot on the back side, for one thing).

That area could really benefit from a Target store. I think the only local Target east of 281 is the one at the Forum.

Update-

Talked to someone who went to Rios Golden Cut in Terrell Plaza today. A sign on the front door states that store will be moving to (maybe merging with?) a location on Walzem Rd. When asked why, an employee stated they were being forced to move, due to the property owner's plans to demolish the building, and build a new Target store in its place.

[spaceage007]

I was trying to find something on "Oyster Bake" in the newspaper archives when I stumbled on this place called Magnolia Sugar Plantation. This was from 1975, but I don't remember anything about this place. Anybody know anything about it?

Very interesting GW! The picture looked vary familiar to me. I remeber seeing it awhile back on a Flicker page where the page owner claimed it to be the Gillespie Mansion (he also had aka Midget Mansion which we know its not). He had the adress listed as 6211. The ad for the Plantation has a adress of 6111, so I knew this was the same place.

On the Flicker page he mentions a guest house in the back which is now the Granados Park Community Senior Center. According to the Goolgle maps aerial view he provides on the Flicker page, this mansion would have been located behind what is now Wal Mart. I took a look at this area on HistoricAerials.com, in the 1955 view you can see the mansion and guest house. The guest house has a road that leads to another mansion. This mansion would be located next to the Wal Mart, I think this is the Gillespie Mansion. On the 1986 aerial the Sugar Plantaion mansion is gone, while the other mansion is still there.Did the Gillespie family have two mansions? If not which one is the Gillespie Mansion?

In 1955 aerial of the Sugar Plantaion mansion there appears to be a guest house behind it. This is located where the Alamo Federal Credit Union now stands, not the Senior Center. This guest house is gone in the 1973 aerial view.

If you put Gillsepie Mansion in a search engine you can find the Flicker page. He has a some very good pics of the front of the mansion, but only the front. Having no flash I can see why he didnt take pics of the inside, but I would have loved to see the back yard and guest house too. I wonder how many of the cities old mansions have been torn down due to neglect and vandals. Id love to hear any input anybody can add to this.

[THOMAS655]

Originally Posted by ged_782

Update-

Talked to someone who went to Rios Golden Cut in Terrell Plaza today. A sign on the front door states that store will be moving to (maybe merging with?) a location on Walzem Rd. When asked why, an employee stated they were being forced to move, due to the property owner's plans to demolish the building, and build a new Target store in its place.

I found an internet story about the demise of Terrell Plaza, it is apparently official from the property owner:

DDR, Target to Commence Redevelopment of Terrell Plaza in San Antonio - Citybizlist Houston (http://houstonrealestate.citybizlist.com/17/2011/5/18/DDR-Target-to-Commence-Redevelopment-of-Terrell-Plaza-in-San-Antonio.aspx - broken link)

[kryophan]

Originally Posted by satx56

Whoa!! Mr Gatti's in 1974???

you are correct. My mistake. Capellitti's Pizza was the name of the place where I had that dishwasher job.

I also was a cashier at Lubel's Dry Cleaning during my high school days.

[Sonny Chiba57]

Anyone remember KUKA radio station of the Pepsi Pena show?

[kiwiboo81]

Originally Posted by Sonny Chiba57

Anyone remember KUKA radio station of the Pepsi Pena show?

I remember KUKA radio. I used to watch the Henry Pena (?) show in the weekends I think. Also Swingtime (brought to you by Big Red?).

I remember:
Five Star Shock
Project Terror
Big family barbeques at Brack
Hot dogs at Coney Island on Broadway
Circle 81 Drive-In (by Nogalitos and Zarzamora, now a building material store)
Another drive-in on Frio City Road, don't remember the name.
Hippo sodas
Buying 45 records at the 5 & 10 on Houston and Alamo.
The Manhattan Restaurant on Houston
The Mexican Manhattan
Downtown was a great place for the people who lived in San Antonio.
Layaways at all the great stores!

[Dwangle]

I remember KUKA but I don't remember where it was. Maybe 97 or something? I listened to KTSA (Kome to San Antonio!) KONO (Still do) there was KBER (Western but with a hit list and some of the same songs. (Woverton Mountain) .There was 680 KBAT (I think, Their logo was a Baseball bat. Maybe not I was learning Morse code at the time. "B" a bat and three ball. Dah Dit Dit Dit. Funny what you remember.) I loved my transistor radio.

[TrapperL]

I don't remember a radio station KBAT. The old clock on the wall says 630AM was KMAC. Remember seeing the green wall clocks with business names and KMAC?
Before KBER it KENS radio. The towers were out on Bandera Road where Walmart is past Leon creek. I passed it everyday going to school at Marshall. At one time there was a Shamrock gas station across the road from it. That's when NOTHING else was out there when we moved there in 63.
We didn't get much towards downtown so most of my younger days were southside-Goliad and Hot wells area. We bought our 45 records at the Record Rendezvous. I was there every Tuesday for the newest top 50(as I remember) list that they handed out. They had listening rooms where they would play a record for you. I have some of those old topXX lists around here somewhere. Need to find'em.