GARLAND, Texas — A beloved brewery and BBQ restaurant in Garland has a unique problem on its hands after a wall in its beer garden partially collapsed during last week's winter storm.
The incident was caught on security footage. The owner of 'Intrinsic Smokehouse & Brewery' told WFAA that snow and ice seeped into the aging wall and expanded, causing it to collapse.
"Elementary school science pushed it down," owner Cary Hodson said.
"We had very little staff working that day due to the roads, but everyone inside said they heard a loud boom and felt the ground shake," he said.
It's a heartbreaker for Hodson; the building is in downtown Garland and is historic -- dating back to the early 1900s. Hodson says he thinks the bricks are roughly 100 years old after having conversations with the city.
"Of course, I want to preserve the historical value and the aesthetic value of the building," Hodson said. "We have a beautifully unique space, and I want to keep it as much as possible."
Intrinsic is right off Garland City Square. Hodson has been operating there since 2015.
His brewery and smokehouse operate out of two historic buildings off West State Street.
A roofless building adjacent to the brewery and kitchen burned down in the early 2000s. It's there where Hodson has live music and a patio for customers.
Hodson said it was initially a tin and tackle shop in the early 1900s. Now it serves as a patio and space for live music.
Hodson was thankful that no one was out there at the time.
"We're just fortunate that everyone is safe," Hodson said.
There is a pile of bricks in the patio where part of the wall fell. Hodson said only furniture and a few space heaters were damaged when the wall came tumbling down.
Intrinsic gets very busy on the weekends, per Hodson. Now he has less space to offer his customers.
"It's tough to come out here," Hodson said. "We just got through COVID, and now roughly 2/3 of our business is going to get hit because we don't have the space. So I hope the people who come are just patient with us."
Hodson said he'll work with the city and his insurance agency to try and rebuild what's stood in downtown Garland for decades.
His priority, however, is keeping his customers safe.
"It's heartbreaking, but we'll build it back brick by brick."