If you've ever wanted your own little slice of Texas and you have $1.5 million in the bank (or some very generous friends), you're in luck. Bankersmith, Texas, located in the Hill Country between Luckenbach and Fredericksburg, is up for sale. The town comes complete with a dance hall, three bars, a wedding reception venue and a corporate retreat center.
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Bankersmith made headlines in 2012 when it was purchased by Austin restauranteur Doug Guller, owner of the Austin-based "breastaurant" chain Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill. Guller went as far as renaming the town "Bikinis." Bikinis, with its party culture and bikini top and Daisy Duke denim-clad waitresses, wasn't exactly embraced by the neighbors of the formerly quaint Texas town. Nearby residents worried about increased traffic and noise in their community. And although it was frequently described as a ghost town, Bankersmith still had one resident. Maggie Montgomery was forced to move from her home of 15 years when the town was purchased.
Eventually, Guller conceded. In 2015, Bikinis, Texas became Bankersmith once again. Plans to transform the 1.6-acre plot of land into a neon-lit breastaurant getaway were also axed.
In 2015, Guller told the Austin-American Statesman he wanted a longterm relationship with the Fredericksburg community. "After working with the community for over two years, we feel changing the name was necessary and want to take it back to its grassroots," he explained.
Now, with Hill Country property in high demand, the Bankersmith land is on the market once again.
Bankersmith is located at 7905 Old San Antonio Road in Kendall County. The town was founded in 1913 and reached its peak population in the 1920s when approximately 50 people resided there.
For those interested in starting their own Luckenbach, Guller says the Bankersmith property can hold about 3,000 people. That's plenty of room for Willie and all your friends. Just be sure to keep it Texas.
