Historic Grand Strand church to become 1920s themed bar and entertainment venue

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - Soon when you’re driving down North Kings Highway, the outside of First Presbyterian Church will look the same, but the inside will be a 1920s-themed bar and entertainment venue.

Myrtle Beach City Council gave the green light for the project at its last meeting paving the way for developers, architects and engineers to get to work on transforming the church into ROAR.

Developers said ROAR will turn the church’s sanctuary into boutique bowling lanes, and a dance floor and have a live band performing in the balcony.

The auditorium will transform into a concept called the Twisted Potter which is a cross between automated mini golf and pinball.

Sports simulators, arcade games and a beer garden will take up the remaining space.

Simon Burgess, the project developer, said ROAR will have a little bit of everything for both locals and tourists to enjoy.

“You can come here and have all different types of amusement in one place and you can have all different types of food. So, we like to think if it were evening or a rainy day you could come spend the full day playing all the different concepts we got inside,” said Burgess.

Burgess said they also have their sights set on eventually adding a hotel.

If the city council approves of the idea, developers will tack on a boutique hotel with six or seven floors and 105 rooms.

He said the hotel’s first floor will be a food hall that connects to ROAR.

Burgess said the two projects would bring around 150 jobs to our area.

He said he hopes to get construction started in August, and if everything goes well, ROAR should be open in April 2024.

If approved, he said the hotel would come a year or so after ROAR opens.

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