Terry Black's plunges into new bathhouse near San Antonio's Pearl
Terry Black’s hospitality arm is expanding beyond barbecue and rooms, filing plans for a 9, 800-square-foot bathhouse called The Depths at 1411 Alling St., a short walk from the Pearl district. The project pairs with a new Terry Black’s restaurant and boutique hotel at 2100 Broadway and aims to tap into the renewed appetite for public wellness spaces—potentially attracting locals who search for "restaurants near me" and want a post-meal unwind.
What The Depths will offer
State project filings list a comprehensive lineup of spa amenities: two hot spas, two cold spas, two cold plunges, a large linear spa and a salt float. The facility is also planned to include a steam room, a cold mist room, private massage rooms and a high-end locker room with full spa amenities. One filing estimates construction could cost about $8. 3 million, reflecting the upscale buildout and specialty systems needed for multiple thermal pools and float tanks.
The mix of hot and cold treatments, plus the salt float, places The Depths squarely within the 2026 wellness trend favoring analog, communal experiences. Those trends have pushed public bathhouses back into the cultural mix as social and restorative destinations after years of pandemic-driven isolation. Locally, the size and scope of this buildout would dwarf smaller operations that have experimented with the format.
How it fits with the Pearl development and neighborhood access
The bathhouse sits adjacent to a larger development that includes the city’s first Terry Black’s restaurant and a boutique hotel. Project documents note the hotel and spa elements are linked, but leadership has characterized the spa as more than a private hotel amenity. Company leadership has emphasized community access as part of the concept, signaling an intent to operate The Depths as a public-facing destination rather than an exclusive in-house facility.
That approach could make the site a regional draw: diners hunting for "restaurants near me" may extend visits into longer experiences on-site, while neighborhood residents may find a new everyday wellness option. It also complements the Pearl area's ongoing evolution into a mixed-use corridor that blends dining, hospitality and cultural offerings.
Timeline, context and unanswered questions
Filings indicate construction is slated to begin in April (ET) and continue through June 2028 (ET), though such timelines can change as permitting and design details are finalized. The planned footprint and systems suggest a multi-phase build that will require specialized contractors for mechanical, plumbing and water-treatment systems.
Local examples of public bathing and small-scale wellness operations exist, but none have matched the planned scale of The Depths. Nearby concepts that opened in recent years have offered intimate, often beverage-forward experiences; this project’s combination of plunge pools, float tanks and extensive locker-room amenities points to a distinct positioning between neighborhood spa and full-service destination.
Several operational details remain unclear. It is not yet confirmed whether the bathhouse will serve alcohol—many similar facilities nationwide restrict drinking for safety reasons—and final membership or drop-in policies have not been released. The hospitality group has not provided additional public details as project filings proceed through regulatory review.
For San Antonio residents and visitors, the pairing of a high-profile barbecue outpost, a boutique hotel and a large public bathhouse signals a notable shift in how dining and wellness offerings are being integrated into single developments. If The Depths opens as planned, it will add an uncommon amenity to the Pearl-area mix and give a new reason for people searching for "restaurants near me" to linger longer in the neighborhood.
