Don’t worry Longview.
The animal statues that are part of the scenery at the former Putt-Putt Golf and Games in Longview are safe in the hands of their new owners.
Marshall residents Robert Parkison and Jerad Perry have purchased the former Putt-Putt, which they plan to call Tapshot when it reopens next year. While they’re planning big changes at the more than 40-year-old business, the signature zoo animal statues will remain part of the miniature golf course.
Parkison owns Texas Truck Outfitters in Marshall, and Perry owns Perry’s Hometown Flooring in Marshall. Parkison and his wife, Angelina, have two adult sons; Perry and his wife, Rachelle, have two sons ages 9 and 12.
The two men said they’ve tackled lots of construction projects before, but this will be the first time they’ve taken on this kind of project.
And while they’re Marshall residents, they’ve loved Putt-Putt over the years as much as people in Longview have. The Barnhart family started Putt-Putt in Longview in 1981.
Parkison and Perry said they would come to Longview to play miniature golf when they were younger or on dates and, now, with their children.
“So in the last few years, we saw it kind of fading and going downhill,” Perry said, and an idea began to emerge.
“Could we bring this place back?” he asked.
The Perry family was at the entertainment center right before it went on the market. Soon after, the two families were together, talking about “how cool it would be to buy and renovate” the miniature golf business, Parkison said.
The next day, they saw a Facebook notice that the property was up for sale.
“It was so coincidental,” Perry said.
They plan to “liven up” the outdoor golf course, including a redesign of the course layout. They say keeping the animal statues is something the public has let them know is important to them.
“We have already pulled out the bumpers, and we’re going to use the existing concrete and then redesign the layout so that it looks new, but it’s utilizing the original format,” Parkison said, but they’re considering new themes on the course.
Tapshot will not have an arcade. Instead the room where the arcade was will offer ax throwing, and the former party room will feature a shooting simulator with a 12-foot screen with different games for adults versus children. The parking lot and drainage will be addressed as well.
“We’ll have pizza … and then we’ll have both beer and fountain drinks and water,” Parkison said.
Other changes are in the works as well.
They’re going through with the permitting process with the city of Longview to begin work on the property. Parkison said they’re aiming to be open by the first of spring.
Chinese food coming to Spring Hill area
Tango Mango, a Chinese food restaurant with longtime East Texas ties, is preparing a new location in the former Dairy Queen in Longview’s Spring Hill area.
Owners Ricky, Aaron and Eric Tang also recently opened a Tango Mango in Tyler, but their family’s restaurant roots started in Nacogdoches. Ricky Tang’s parents operated Peking Chinese food restaurant in that town for many years. They have retired, and he now operates that restaurant.
Aaron and Eric, Ricky’s cousins, are brothers. The trio also recently opened a Tango Mango on South Broadway in Tyler, and each of them have separate restaurant ventures.
Ricky explained that the menu includes some of the favorites from Peking – egg rolls and potstickers for instance, along with 12 kinds of rice bowls, including shrimp and chicken fried rice.
The menu also features authentic Taiwanese shaved ice – the “treats” side of the restaurant.
“It’s like a shaved ice with condensed milk, and then we put fresh fruit on top, a scoop of ice cream (with options for additional toppings) and more condensed milk,” Ricky said.
The restaurant is also known for its smoothies and teas, he added.
“Our most famous drinks are the flavored black tea, flavored green tea, or flavored lemonade,” he said. They also serve Taiwanese milk tea with boba – with the popping pearls filled with fruit juice.
Pet wash targeted for trail
The Longview City Council has approved an agreement with Longview residents Ashly and Keith Lloyd to place a self-service dog wash station at the Boorman Trail head closest to the Stragent Dog Park at Summers Drive and Loop 281.
The agreement calls for the Lloyds to be responsible for all construction costs of the “Bubbles ‘n Bark” project. The Lloyds would pay the city $2,400 per year during the initial five-year agreement. They also would donate 25 cents per wash to the Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center.
— Business Beat appears Wednesday. If you have items for the column, email to newsroom@newsjournal.com; mail to Business Section, Longview News-Journal, P.O. box 1792, Longview, TX 75606; or call (903) 237-7744.