Elsewhere goes north
Downtown San Antonio bar bringing Ferris wheel and whimsy to North Side
A conceptual rendering of Elsewhere Too, a north San Antonio location for the downtown-based Elsewhere Garden Bar and Kitchen that is slated to open in summer 2025.
What is currently an empty plot of land in far north San Antonio will be transformed into a bar and restaurant with whimsical art displays, a 42-foot curved flower tunnel, and a 52-foot Ferris wheel by next summer. After an October 24 groundbreaking, the plan for Elsewhere Too is officially underway.
Elsewhere Too will be the North Side locale for outdoor beer garden Elsewhere Garden Bar and Kitchen, which in the last few years has become a popular stop on the River Walk with its Instagram-worthy floral displays and signs, pet-friendly atmosphere, and buzzy vibe.
At the groundbreaking ceremony at the Elsewhere site — 4507 N. Loop 1604 W., near Shavano Park — owners Terrin Fuhrmann and Nolan Ellis were joined by a large crowd of family, friends, colleagues, and counterparts from the local hospitality community, among others. The ceremony resembled more of an intimate party with free drinks and music.
Indeed, Fuhrmann and Ellis were in a celebratory mood. Fuhrmann said he has been pleasantly surprised by how the community has greeted Elsewhere.
“I don't think I realized what an impact it would have on the community, or understand how this space has an impact on your perspective and emotions,” Fuhrmann said.
“Elsewhere's aesthetic is very intentional," he continued. "It provokes a positive emotional reaction with the foliage, the colorful flowers, the supportive phrases sprinkled throughout the property, the whimsical art installations, and the fire and aerial performers.”
According to Fuhrmann, the original Elsewhere is a place where all visitors can feel safe and make memories with family and friends, and Elsewhere Too will be an extension of that.
When Fuhrmann teased the Elsewhere Too project in 2022, many fans of the bar were abuzz over the conceptual renderings that featured a Ferris wheel. Sure enough, Fuhrmann promises the Ferris wheel will be “the crown jewel” on the property, but that patrons will also enjoy entering the bar through the curved flower tunnel from the parking lot.
Additionally, Elsewhere Too will have a giant preserved oak tree as a centerpiece for the bar. There will be plenty of seating, fire pits, swings, picnic tables, limestone rocks and landscaping — all of which will be complemented by a huge LED television screen.
If that’s not enough, Elsewhere Too will have a greenhouse for private events, and trees lining the property will be illuminated with colorful LED lights.
“It’ll be kind of like you're in Wonderland,” Fuhrmann said.
Fuhrmann said as much as Elsewhere visitors feel at home in the River North neighborhood, Elsewhere Too will be a major part of the emerging entertainment district around the nearby Loop 1604/I-10 interchange, where there is a growing number of restaurants, bars, hotels, and recreational venues.
Ellis said he and Fuhrmann will work hard to make Elsewhere Too as successful as Elsewhere.
“Our simple motive is to create a fun, whimsical, friendly environment where we'll all feel welcomed,” Ellis said. “We want to create a space that inspires love and happiness, and we will do our best to ensure that at the very least, when you come to Elsewhere, you will experience something unlike anything you have ever experienced before.”
The ceremony included local entrepreneur and mayoral candidate Beto Altamirano, who praised Fuhrmann and Ellis for doing what they can to enhance San Antonio’s culture. Altamirano said improving nightlife offerings can help to encourage locals to stay in town and not move.
“How do you retain talent? It starts with culture. It starts with having a robust entertainment scene, and we can't do it without people like Terrin and Nolan,” Altamirano said. “Being an entrepreneur takes risk. You risk it all.”
More information about Elsewhere is available at elsewheretexas.com.
