AstroWorld Rides Again
Texas man dreams of opening new AstroWorld-themed pub and eatery
After AstroWorld closed its doors in 2005, it seemed to many that a piece of Houston was gone forever. But with the magic of Kickstarter, there could be a way to relive the past.
A campaign started by Cody Hahn hopes to open an AstroWorld-themed pub and eatery in Houston dubbed AfterWorld, filled with memorabilia from the beloved theme park.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the Hahn family has owned numerous pieces of AstroWorld memorabilia. After selling a few pieces through Ebay — one item sold for up to $8,000 — the idea for the pub was born.
“Instead of selling off the pieces to private individuals where no one would ever see them again, they felt it was better to take all of the pieces and bring them back in one place for the world to enjoy,” Johnny Steverson, the AfterWorld media representative, told CultureMap.
The planned pub will have several items from the amusement park. The collection includes signs from rides, statues and even seats from the gondola ride. AfterWorld hopes to turn the seats into novelty booths for people to enjoy, according to Steverson.
“Our goal is to create an awesome ambience for Houstonians to enjoy,” said Steverson.
In the video posted on the Kickstarter website, Hahn shows several of the items and his ideas for how they will be displayed in the pub.
Hahn, armed with seven years of restaurant experience, hopes to use his skills to open a pub with fresh food, drinks and great customer service. AfterWorld also plans to have several theme park-inspired dishes on the menu, such as funnel cakes, onion rings and fried pickles.
The initial campaign aims to reach its $7,500 goal by June 2. Those funds will be used to launch a bigger campaign with a goal of $250,000, the anticipated cost to fully fund AfterWorld. So far, the pub has raised $1,150 towards the goal of turning AfterWorld into more than just a memory.