When it comes to Muncie entertainment destinations, looks can be deceiving. For instance, motorists driving driving on the southwest outskirts of town might take the expansive, stately structure on 3100 W. Kilgore Ave. for a church or funeral home.
While the building, near the intersection of Tillotson and Kilgore, regularly draws gatherings of Muncie residents, it's no place of worship or mortuary; it houses the restaurant/bar Slater Hawkins.
"People will come in and think that it is a church or something like that sometimes. Also people don't know how to get into the place at times. When we first moved in we had a delivery truck pull up out front and then leave because no one answered the door there," owner Lewis Coulter said.
Coulter said Slater's provides a wide variety of activities and services.
"We are a steakhouse, entertainment center, a place for all ages and all walks of life to come and sit and watch sports, dance, eat food, shoot pool, play cards, do whatever comes to mind," he said.
"We hold meetings, seminars, dinners, wedding receptions and we've even had a wedding ceremony here. For the receptions and meetings we only charge for the food, not the room. There have been all kinds of different groups here. We have women's groups that come here in the morning and hold their meetings, and then stay for lunch and play bridge," Coulter said.
Upon first walking in, the bar section is the most dominate fixture, yet as one steps father into the building tables are seen set up around the dance floor, and a hand-built deck and railing serving as the smoking section dominates the view. Slater's boasts the biggest dance floor in Muncie, and when the house band Moon Dog hits on Friday night the alcohol sales jump.
Yet manager Julie Wyman says that through out the day more food is sold than anything.
"On the whole I would say we are more a restaurant than a bar. I look at the sales totals for a day, and I see more food sold than anything else," Wyman said.
Slater's has a full menu for those looking for a full stomach. The menu covers everything from steak to wings and other finger foods.
Muncie resident Kim Zurlino, a regular customer, praised the portions and prices.
"The steaks are large, and are seasoned differently from those you would get at a chain restaurant. You never leave hungry.
"Also, the prices are very reasonable," Zurlino said.
For those with a family, Wyman said Slater's is a great place to bring the kids.
"We have a kids menu here. We see a lot of families in here, right up until the band starts playing. We also see a lot of children during wedding receptions. We had one here not too long ago where we had about 20 kids out on the dance floor just having a great time," Wyman said.
The unique look of Slater's exterior comes from its original function as an Eagle's Lodge.
"We bought it in December of 2003 and started renovating the place. The place was filthy when we started," Coulter said.
Wyman said he thought this seems more amazing considering the amount of work that it took to get it accomplished.
"We renovated the whole place right after we bought it and were ready to open on March 30, 2004," Wyman said.
After the renovation, the place took on a whole new look, and began to cater to many different tasks other than just being a bar or restaurant.
Wyman said that although the crew at Slater's is small, they do care about the customers and strive to create a personal relationship with them.
"We have a lot of regular customers. They come in and the bartenders know their name and a little about them," Wyman said.
Zurlino agreed with the thought of the staff being helpful to the customers.
"The atmosphere and people are some of the things I like about it. The bartenders are nice," Zurlino said.
Slater's draws a largely middle-aged crowd, but Coulter said he would like that to change.
"I would like to get the college students to come out," he said.
Coulter said that Slater's is not a bar that you would normally find in a college town.
"We are a step up from a college bar. Most of the people that come here do not have the mind set of 'let's go get drunk'; it is more of a mind set of 'Lets go have a good time.' I want to bring back something that people have forgotten about: socializing," Coulter said.
Just in case someone does get a little too intoxicated, Wyman says that the crew at Slater's will do what they can to help.
"We don't tow cars from our lot, if someone does get a little too drunk we will call a cab for them, and that way they don't have to worry about driving home drunk, and they know that their car will be here in the morning," Wyman said.
Coulter said that there are a few things coming up that will add to the novelty of Slater's.
"We have a murder mystery dinner starting Monday nights in May. We are also hoping to have the Muncie Civic Theatre put on a play here every three months," Coulter said.
The one thing that every customer that enters Slater Hawkins must remember is the entrance is in the back.
"It's become a running joke around here, 'the front is in the back,'" Wyman said.
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