Today we’d like to introduce you to Hank Harrison.
Hi Hank, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Truthfully, I can’t tell my story without starting well before myself. I grew up in Corpus Christi, and my family has been part of downtown’s story for generations. My dad, Bill Harrison, was a Texas state representative for this district, an attorney, and a restaurateur who believed that hospitality in CC Downtown was about more than just food, drinks, and entertainment – it was about creating a community people were proud to be a part of. He learned much of that from his parents, Nell Betty and Dr. Oliver Harrison, who was Minister of First Christian Church for decades. From Cooper’s Alley to The Lighthouse and later Harrison’s Landing and countless other efforts, my Mom and Dad continued the mission to build this community through development of the city’s marina and downtown as places where people could gather, connect, and celebrate the culture of the Coastal Bend.
I graduated King HS in 2008 just ahead of my kick-ass little sister Hannah Harrison Marsh. I went to college in Virginia where I earned my double major in Philosophy and History with a minor in American Studies. After my Dad passed away in December 2011 and I finished college in 2012, I moved back to Corpus Christi to work in the family businesses. Primarily, this meant Harrison’s Landing, which at the time was struggling to fully define its identity and correct its business model, now without its founder and leader in my Dad. This project was difficult, but with leadership and guidance from some amazingly talented and hard working people around us, namely my mom Cathy, Lynn Cates, and so many friends and coworkers, we as a family and crew managed to build stability in the business. Harrison’s Landing carries on today with the best team we’ve had yet, some of whom have been with us from the beginning like GM Sharon Hart.
My dad was a sailor; in fact if we were telling his story, sailing would be a key to how he met so many of his partners with whom he worked in his generation of developing Corpus – not to mention his amazing wife / my wonderful mother. That legacy is a big part of what drives me, but another huge factor is that I’ve traveled enough to know how valuable and unique a place like Corpus Christi really is. Shortly after Dad passed, I bought an old 1970 Morgan 38 sailboat from a well-known local jazz musician named Sonny Hill. The boat’s name is Contigo, which basically means “With You” in Spanish. For me, it meant something like I was sailing “with” my Dad.
If anything I’ve learned how valuable unique and beautiful this little sparkling city by the sea really is compared to so many other cities on the water. I’ve been lucky enough to travel so many other places. From living in VA for college and traveling back and forth every summer for work and holidays to be with the family, to a life-changing sailing trip after we were able to hire enough management at the restaurant. Over about 18 months with various friends along the way, I sailed Contigo to the Bahamas and back. I visited so many beautiful cities along the Gulf Coast, the Keys, Florida’s East Coast, and into the Bahamas. I consider myself fortunate to have seen how green most of the grass is on the other side. Corpus really is a wonderful place to be.
I’ve spent my career building on what my family was building: the idea of revitalizing the Downtown area as a neighborhood built on identity, creativity, fun, and local pride. Today, we are proud to be partners in several projects that aim to push downtown Corpus Christi into its next era with our legacy brands as well as our newer projects. From our recent opening of the high-end tapas and cocktail bar The Mariner at Harrison’s Landing, to the upcoming full redevelopment of the main restaurant downstairs, to the bay tours on our party boats, we’re still fully committed to development of the waterfront. I am also super proud to be a founding partner in Full Send BBQ on Taylor Street, with our incredibly talented operating partner Des Hill serving up some of the most amazing, award winning BBQ in the South Texas area. I’m also a member of the Visit Corpus Christi board, and the biggest fan of the Downtown Management District, two critical organizations with the same aim. I’m also proud to be the vocalist and rhythm guitarist for a band called Triptonite, and you can find us on all the streamings or best of all, playing venues all over South Texas.
Of course, there is big project right now: The Exchange, opened in 2017, which we’re in the process of completely reimagining and reopening. The Exchange is the home of “The Jamily,” an informal but oh-so dedicated affiliation of musicians and creatives all over the Coastal Bend who come to The Ex to create music and share it with anyone who wants to listen either at our legendary Jam Nights on Thursdays to all the other entertainment we host. We’re also bringing back the full service restaurant and fully overhauling the bar. We’re just a few weeks from revealing a massive renovation at The Exchange, and I haven’t even mentioned the massive 6′ x 26′ High Def Video Wall we’ll be mounting to the exterior corner of the building.
To me, it’s not just about running restaurants or hosting unforgettable events, it’s about continually building Downtown as what it truly is: the living, breathing cultural core of the entire Coastal Bend. With the new Texas A&M-Corpus Christi campus coming online, new hotels, new apartments, more entertainment, an updating infrastructure, and the energy continually coming back to the streets of Downtown Corpus Christi, we have a real opportunity to make downtown even more a place people choose to spend their time again and again. In the not-so-distant future, we’ll again be looking at Downtown not just as a destination for major events like Art Walk or concerts, but as a wonderful place to live – a true thriving neighborhood bursting with culture and pride. Tourists will want to visit a place like that for some of the same reasons people will want to live there.
Downtown Corpus has had a tough history since its peak about 80 years ago or so, with one decade or another supporting or downright undoing the growth and/or culture which support each other toward creating and sustaining a prideful thriving neighborhood. For so many reasons this was the curse on Downtown, but at this point it is different. The local economy has the kind of stability it has never had, and the cultural scene is thriving. The new Harbor Bridge and the Port of CC are both setting records, and the DMD”s Art Walk is, too, with monthly attendance well into the 30,000s. For many of the especially long time residents here, we feel this deep confident feeling that “this is really starting to work.”
Soon Downtown will hit a necessary critical mass of residents moving here from Corpus South Side, the Island, and all over the state, and the rest will follow, toward a truly unique and vibrantly sparkling neighborhood by the bay and the beach.
“Austin? Eh, maybe if it was 2005. I’m moving to Corpus.”
This question was about my “story.” Well, at this point, my story is very much tied to Downtown and my next chapters will be written along with it. I’ve always believed that if we can make people feel proud of Corpus again, and express themselves through art and music, CC Downtown is the obvious cultural hub to platform the type of community expression that will define the Coastal Bend and South Texas for decades to come.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Growing up I had a chest deformity which really stunted my confidence until surgery at 16. At that time when I couldn’t play football anymore, I got into surfing and sailing, so I guess thats a win there. I lost my dad just before Christmas before my last semester off in college and inherited his business. When the business managed some stability and we could hire adequate management on site, I sailed to the Bahamas for 18 months and learned more than I could possibly type and express here. Coming back, I opened the Munchies Bus and a catering company with partners, something that eventually evolved into The Exchange.
The Ex, a live music venue and restaurant helping to spearhead the next generation of revitalization in Downtown Corpus in Q1 2017, had a previous partner who turned out to be a fraud and he’s currently doing hard time in a federal pen in Florida. He ripped us off loads of money and when his pledged investment fell through, my partners Xavier, Tony, Chris, Jeremy, David, and I all buckled down to run the company ourselves. We finally got it on its own feet a few months before our 3 year anniversary on March 13 2020, but we all know what happened then. We struggled like crazy those years, including me swing trading stocks and crypto to keep the business alive or all of us bottling togo margaritas to sell just a few of them, but we came out the other end with a “Jamily” that was stronger and harder than ever before. As the pandemic faded, the Ex further solidified itself as the creative home of CC area musicians.
Now we’re rebuilding and overhauling The Exchange and Harrison’s Landing.
That’s bound to be enough….
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Well, I’ve spent plenty of time talking about business and personal, so I’ll touch a bit on the Band!
Triptonite, founded at Jam Nights at The Exchange like so many other local bands, is our rock/reggae/jam band. We have a studio EP and a Live Album plus a few studio singles and music videos available online, and we tour all over the South Texas region and beyond whenever we can usually about 40-65 shows per year. In fact, playing music is how I met my incredible girlfriend Hilary, who is a business owner and badass on her own. Triptonite won Best Band in Corpus Christi in 2023, and we’re working hard on another full album of original music.
WIth a bit more time after working these business development projects, there will be a lot more production from the band. Stay tuned!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think my previous answer on personal story should suffice, but lets just say I am very bullish on Downtown Corpus Christi! The next 5 years is going to be a wild ride, and I’m damn proud to be on the wave. Quick shout out to Casey Lain of House of Rock, Caitlin Shook of Annex and Shook Enterprises, Noe Ybarra of Artisan and Global Stage Techs, Mark Schaberg of Rockits and 5th and Elm and so many huge projects. There are a lot of major players helping to grow downtown, the list is very strong.
