On a weekday night at Riley’s Tavern, beers popped open, pool balls clacked and familiar faces settled into their usual seats. From the outside, it looked like business as usual at Texas’ oldest licensed bar. But underneath the casual chatter, one question still hung heavy in the room: Who tried to set Riley’s on fire?
Nearly a week after an alleged arson attempt damaged the nearly 100-year-old dive bar between San Marcos and New Braunfels, the suspect remains at large. Security footage posted online shows a man splashing liquid on the tavern’s wooden siding before igniting a flash fire that briefly flared before burning out.
In the wake of the attack, Riley’s has added new safety measures. A bartender confirmed that a deputy now monitors the property at night, and heat sensors have been installed around the building.
“It made me very sad,” frequent patron Dee Bartlett said upon hearing the news. “[Riley’s Tavern] is such a treasure… to see that somebody tried to do that is kind of heartbreaking.”
For owner Joel Hofmann, who took over Riley’s in 2004 and added a stage and dance floor while preserving its vintage character, the fight is now about protecting both patrons and history.
While MySA was unable to connect with Hofman for a follow up, he posted on Facebook shortly after our initial conversation, saying, “I’m asking everyone in the wake of this arson incident not to distance themselves from Riley’s Tavern. This incident in no way was a target on owners and employees. This is probably someone we quit allowing into our establishment. We want to keep Riley’s a place where all are welcome. ‘Minus idiots.’ Please don’t think that this is a reason to distance yourselves from us. We don’t associate personally with anyone who would do such an act.”
Opened in 1933 by James Curtis Riley, who famously camped out on the Capitol steps to secure Texas’ first post-Prohibition beer license, the Hunter-area watering hole has long been a community institution.
While speculation continues to grow on the alleged perpetrator, for another frequent patron Lane Mays says it was a shocking discovery.
“This place is historic, and everyone here treats each other like family. I know it sounds crazy ’cause we might talk a lot of smack to each other, but everyone here is like family,” he says. “I have no idea who, who would’ve like, wanted to take this place down.”
Comal County investigators continue to follow leads, though the Fire Marshal’s Office were unable to be reached for comment. Hofmann is urging anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 830-620-8477 or submit tips online at comalcrimestoppers.org.
Find it: 8894 FM 1102, New Braunfels, TX 78132