‘End of an era’ The Outland closes out 33-year run downtown
Kelley Litle’s first visit to The Outland was in the fall of 1991. She was 23 years old, a recent graduate of Drury University and was asked to stop in by a friend for lunch.
“I walk in and she’s like, ‘Lie, lie, you’re not going to have lunch with me. I need you to be my waitress. I need you to be my food server. I need you to do my lunch crowd.’ I was literally tricked to work there as a food server.”
Despite the misdirection, “I had a blast, had so much fun,” said Litle, who continued serving at new downtown restaurant and pub. In May 1992, she stepped up as a manager, a role she served in until 1995. After a brief leave of absence, she returned to The Outland, where she bartended until 1996.
To Litle, The Outland was “nothing shy of magic,” which she attributed to the people who frequented the business during its more than 30-year tenure.
That run is is at an end. In mid-January, Kevin Dunn, current owner of The Outland Complex — The Outland Ballroom upstairs and the ground-level Odyssey Lounge — announced that the two venues were closing at their spaces at 324 and 322 South Ave.
Dunn shared in a Facebook post, which he provided to the News-Leader, that he has secured a new location for the Odyssey Lounge that is not downtown. Dunn did not wish to provide details about the new space, which he hoped to open March 1.
Following Dunn’s announcement, countless former employees, musicians and regular patrons shared their favorite memories from The Outland Complex on social media. Though the complex was most recently known for The Outland Ballroom and Odyssey Lounge, it was established in September 1991 with The Outland, a 22-hour restaurant and pub at 326 South Ave. Today, that space is Hour House, which will remain open, as it was not a part of The Outland Complex next door.
Jason Murray, owner of Springfield Loft Apartments, has owned the buildings at 324 and 322 South Ave. since October 2008. While a lease has been signed with a new occupant, Murray said he could not share the details.
Opening doors in a desolate downtown
The late Craig Watkins opened The Outland in September 1991 with the intent of offering a 22-hour restaurant and bar. The Outland boasted a hefty
The eNewspaper is an electronic copy of your print newspaper. Enjoy every page by going to news-leader.com/enewspaper or scan this code on your mobile device. You will also find late news and sports in the bonus sections. Check it out today! beer selection, with 100 imports and 200 domestic brands, which was unheard of downtown at the time, Litle said. In addition to The Outland, Watkins also operated Cully’s and Park West, two downtown bars that are no longer open.
For a few months, The Outland also operated a late-night breakfast menu, with items like biscuits and gravy for less than $2, according to a NewsLeader story published on Sept. 13, 1991. This didn’t last long, Litle said, because retaining overnight staff was difficult.
More notable than the beer selection and breakfast menu was the timing of the The Outland’s opening. In the early ‘90s, there weren’t many businesses that drew patrons downtown. The Outland was one of several establishments that helped revitalize the area.
“The interesting thing about this time frame ... there was nothing downtown,” Litle said. “This is the era of a lot of the inner cities were blighted, scary. They hadn’t been revitalized as we’ve come to know major city downtowns are now. Down there was the The Regency and (Nathan P.) Murphy’s. They were the only two bars and they were very separate and there was nothing else. During the day there would be social services, some used furniture stores, a coin collector shop, some antique stuff, very rundown, nothing that was really a draw during the day and at night there was nothing.”
Serving salads, sandwiches, soups
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