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Michelle and Rodney Showalter completely overhauled 201 S. Main St. into a family-friendly sports bar in less than a month.
CELINA - The Double Barrel officially opened its doors over Memorial Day weekend, giving downtown Celina a new sports bar from the owners of Loaded Barrel Bar and Grill.
After hearing that the owners of 201 S. Main St. were looking to sell, local husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Michelle and Rodney Showalter, of Celina, wasted little to no time reaching out.
"A mutual friend had said that the owners were thinking about selling it," Michelle said. "We contacted them and I was like, 'Hey, let's talk for a second. Are you interested in selling?'"
While it did take a second for all four of the property owners- Chad and Lora Schmitmeyer and Angela and Doug Florence- to get on the same page, it wasn't long after Michelle's initial conversation with them in March that couple closed on the bar, which previously housed Boots N' Bourbon, on May 1 for $300,000.
"It was super fast. It had to have been in March when it came about and I looked at Rodney. We weren't sure if this was going to fly or not because there were technically four owners. When it first came up, two of them wanted out. They just wanted nothing to do with it. And so again, they were selling half. I was questioning, well who are the other two (owners)? And what does that mean?" Michelle said. "I've never been in a business with somebody else. Then like another week goes by because those guys were on vacation and then when they came back, then they wanted to sell too. They wound up deciding when they wanted to close up for good and it was middle of April that I think we got the keys, and we closed on it on April 30th."
Michelle and Rodney then quickly worked to completely overhaul the venue into a family-friendly sports bar. In less than a month, they redid the ceilings, painted, replaced the keggers, installed turf on the dance floor, adding more than 20 dining tables and more.
"We literally started with nothing, no liquor, no beer," she said. "We redid the floor so there is no more sticking to the floors. The dance floor, we covered in turf for a fun little spin. I think there were like two dining tables in here. We now have 28. We re-felted the pool tables, we added games like Miss Pac-Man, all kinds of fun things coming for the kids. The bands and things will be moved outside. We ripped out the rotted concrete over there and we're making it all sidewalk level. The only steps are if you want to go upstairs."
Aside from its different food offerings, Double Barrel is geared more toward sports and family than the Showalters' other bar, Loaded Barrel.
Aside from its different food offerings, Double Barrel is geared more toward sports and family than Loaded Barrel, Michelle said.
"Over there (Loaded Barrel) is family friendly as well, but we don't have space for the games. We wound up having to remove the pool table for more seating over there and for the bands that come in. However, here we're going to move the big bands here for noise- So the bands will be outside and dining inside," she said. "Also the menu is different. However, you will have our amazing burgers and the wings. That's a staple. But here we have some specially designed, different items."
One Double Barrel menu item worth checking out is their Stadium Burger. The half-pound burger, recommended by Rodney, comes on a pretzel bun with beer cheese and bacon.
"It is freaking delicious," Michelle added. "I'd probably recommend the pretzel knots too."
Additional menu items tailored toward sports are in the works.
"I want to do the big ballpark franks," Rodney said, adding that they're looking to do nachos as well.
Double Barrel Sports Bar and Grill, 201 S. Main St., opened over Memorial Day weekend.
In addition to Loaded Barrel, which they opened up at 2001 State Route 703 in 2024, the couple maintains several other businesses in the area. Those include a gun store and outdoor shooting range in Celina called Midwest Defense; RS Transporter LLC; and two Amazon Hubs; with plenty of other ideas always in the works.
"My biggest inspiration throughout this is my dad," Rodney said. "My dad's been gone a little over five years now. He would always tell people, 'We have 69 vans. We have this.' I'd say, 'Dad, we don't have that. I have that.' I didn't appreciate that until after he was gone."
Rodney's father, Sidney Showalter, was a big business influence on him, Michelle seconded.
After working for 25 years at Huffy Bicycle Manufacturing Company, Sidney was a self-employed transporter for many years, per his obituary. He died in April 2020.
"He was actually (Rodney's) example. He was doing the whole Amish hauling business, transportation, way before us," she said. The couple began in transportation with just one van and some invoicing help from Rodney's cousin, she added.
"We just kept going all in. He's an all in guy. Everything we made, we put all in (the next venture)," Michelle said.
They were then brought into the bar business by happenstance.
"We were there (then J's American Pub) three or four days a week. We were there one night and the owner of the building said, 'Hey, Showalter's, you wanna own a bar?' I said, 'No, not at all,' because right before, I had helped them out one night on Friday so they could go to a football game," Michelle said. "I was terrible. It was scary. ... I don't even drink, so, I had to learn a lot."
Inexplicably, the bar became Michelle's favorite venture.
"Of all of the businesses that we do and all the things that we do, that's become my happy place. It's just fun. I can't explain it, because something that scared me half to death has brought me so much joy."
Double Barrel Sports Bar and Grill, located at 201 S. Main St., Celina, is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday-Saturday. More information is available on the Double Barrel Sports Bar and Grill Facebook page.
