Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Garrison.
Hi Tom, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started in real estate in Dallas – but that dried up. I ran out of real estate and friends to sell it to.
I was at a country western bar with gum on the ceiling and cigarette butts on the floor and thought – I can do better than this. A few partners and I started J Alfreds for $10,000. Then a vacant nightclub on Maple next to a closed-down pharmacy was available. Opened the Stoneleigh P in 1973 combining the old club and pharmacy. One bar seemed easy enough so we opened a jazz bar, Strictly Taboo, then Greenville Bar and Grill then bars in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and San Antonio. In all about 19 bars.
Stoneleigh P weathered all the storms and we are so lucky it’s here today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No. It has been fantastically easy and incredibly hard. The P burnt down in 1980, and years later I found out it was by an employee. 2008 and Covid were tough as can be. We made it.
We’ve been impressed with Stoneleigh P, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We were the hub for Dallas counterculture in the 70s and 80s. Our menu started out with 5 items: hamburger, sausage sandwich, lentil soup, spinach salad, and an artichoke. First place in Dallas to serve spinach salad or artichoke. New York Times wrote about our burger in ’90s. Esquire wrote about our Jukebox. (We were also in the midst of a controversial rule about Mariah Carey on our jukebox last year). We are Uptown’s and the surrounding area’s living room. There is something for everyone here whether it’s the great food, mix of company, comfortable space, pool table, cold drinks. We’ve got it all in a very unique space.
Our diverse clientele is what really sets us apart in Dallas. It is a beautiful cross-section of America at any given time of day. You just can’t get that at many, if any, places in Dallas.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
To just do it. Just go ahead and take a chance. If you know something is missing, that there is an unfulfilled need, fill it. Do it.
Contact Info:
- Website: Thestoneleighp.com
- Instagram: Thestoneleighp
- Facebook: Facebook.com/stoneleighp
Image Credits
Lisa Bachman-Hand
