Willie's Place

Summary

Willie's Place was a 15 acres (6.1 ha) truck stop and biodiesel processing plant located in Carl's Corner, Texas that was opened in 2005 and named after Willie Nelson.[1][2][3][4] The facility was originally built circa 1980 by Carl Cornelius and named Carl's Corner.[3][5] Willie's Place was closed for a time and then reopened in 2008 after a significant expansion.[6] Willie's Place had a gas station that was the first to sell Willie Nelson Biodiesel brand biodiesel, a restaurant that specialized in Southern cuisine, a convenience store and a 750-seat concert theater for performances.[3][6][7][8] The theater had a bar and a 1,000 square feet (93 m2) dance floor, and various touring country western bands would perform there.[5][8][9]

Willie's Place in 2010. The apostrophe in the sign is replaced with an image of a bullet hole.

Willie Nelson also occasionally visited the site, and occasionally performed.[5][10] The establishment also had a "display of rare country music memorabilia", along with Willie Nelson memorabilia.[5][8] Willie's Place had about 80 employees.[11]

Biodiesel processing plant edit

The processing plant at Willie's Place processed over two million gallons of biodiesel annually.[1]

Closure edit

Willie's Place closed in 2011 after a loan default occurred, which led to foreclosure and bankruptcy.[4] It was later converted into a Petro truck stop.[3][4][7]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Becher, A.; Richey, J. (2008). American Environmental Leaders: M-Z. American Environmental Leaders: From Colonial Times to the Present. Grey House Pub. ISBN 978-1-59237-119-8. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  2. ^ Pohlen, J. (2008). Progressive Nation: A Travel Guide with 400+ Left Turns and Inspiring Landmarks. Chicago Review Press, Incorporated. p. 341. ISBN 978-1-56976-484-8. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d Anders, Helen (February 26, 2015). "Surreal life in Carl's Corner". www.statesman.com. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Ross, Eli (February 26, 2015). "Curtain Falls On Willie's Place". KWTX News 10 | Central Texas, Waco | News, Weather, Sports. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d Kelso, J.; Buckner, S. (2011). Texas Curiosities, 4th: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. Curiosities Series. Globe Pequot. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-7627-6070-1. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc.; Carnes, T.; Harmsen, D. (2008). Fodor's Texas. Fodor's Texas. Fodor's Travel Publications. p. 298. ISBN 978-1-4000-0719-6. {{cite book}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
  7. ^ a b Dunn, Jill (March 9, 2011). "Willie's Place to reopen as a Petro truck stop". Overdrive. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c Goldblatt, S.; Goldblatt, J. (2011). The Complete Guide to Greener Meetings and Events. The Wiley Event Management Series. Wiley. p. 1-PA90. ISBN 978-0-470-64010-4. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  9. ^ "Williesplacetheater". williesplacetheater.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  10. ^ "Goodbye to Willie's Place Theater and Carl's Corner, TX Truck Stop (Thanks for the great music and memories)". www.stillisstillmoving.com. March 27, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  11. ^ Dunn, Jill. "A Creditor forecloses Willie's Place". Etrucker.com. Etrucker. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2011.

External links edit

External videos
  Willie's Place at Carl's Corner - Willie Nelson interview with Erica Harpold