Pinbar

At the corner of North 13th and B Streets in downtown Fort Smith, a single building has carried the city’s story for more than 135 years. Its white-brick walls still hold a faded 1984 bronze plaque that reads, “HISTORICAL MARKER / CELEBRATING BICENTENNIAL OF METHODISM IN AMERICA / CENTRAL CHURCH / NORTH 13 & B ST. / 1886 – 1919.”T

That marker remembers the original Central Methodist Church, which rose here in the late 1880s after Fort Smith’s first Methodist congregation divided over where to build their new home. One group chose this spot, raised a modest frame church, and gave it the name “Central.” B

y 1887 the little congregation already counted 161 members. Years later the two rival groups healed their rift, reunited as First Methodist Church South, and used this very building as their temporary sanctuary from 1916 until 1919, when they finally moved two blocks north to the new site at 15th & B. After the hymns fell silent, the old structure quietly began its second life.

Through the decades that followed, the corner locals still call “13th & B” turned into one of downtown’s most reliable gathering places. It welcomed wave after wave of new purpose.

For years it housed Emmy’s German Restaurant, where people came for steaming bowls of Tpotato soup, golden schnitzel, and the warm comfort of European home cooking. When Emmy’s eventually closed around 2020, the spirit carried on for a while through occasional pop-up “German Nights” hosted by the same owners at the next spot.

Then Taliano’s Restaurant & Bar moved in, filling the historic hall with Italian dishes, a lively bar, and space for events, while still nodding to the past by keeping a few German favorites on the weekend menu. Most recently, from March 2024 until late 2025, Vinnie’s Pies & Bike Rack Brewing brought New York-style pizza and craft beer to the address after a successful run as a food truck.

The grand opening landed on March 19, 2024, and the place quickly became the downtown go-to for slices, brews, and casual nights out—until the team shifted directions and left the space available again by the end of 2025.

Now the building stands on the edge of its most spirited chapter yet. The team behind The Arcade Fort Smith has stepped in to create The PinBar, a fresh, fun venue that keeps the historic bones intact while filling the space with retro energy. The owners made it official on their pages: “So it’s official!

The PinBar is the name! We will be located at 200 N 13th Street in downtown Fort Smith!

Our target opening is around the first of April 2026” When the doors open, visitors 21 and older will step into a place centered on classic pinball machines that light up and chime with every flipper shot, a handful of beloved arcade games, pool tables ready for friendly competition, sports flickering on big screens, and a menu of beer, wine, and food to keep everyone fueled.T

he transformation feels like a natural next page in the building’s long story. What began in the 1880s as a place where people came together to worship and build community has spent more than a century drawing folks back through shared meals, laughter, and good times.

Soon the same walls--still watched over by that old Methodist plaque—will ring with the satisfying clatter of pinball glass, the crack of cue balls, and the easy chatter of friends over drinks. Downtown Fort Smith is about to gain a vibrant new heartbeat at one of its most storied intersections.A

pril 2026 is closing in fast. When The PinBar flips on its lights, the corner of 13th & B will once again become the place where people go to play, unwind, and make new memories—one silver ball, one good shot, and one great night at a time.

Follow The PinBar on Facebook for the latest on menu previews, machine reveals, and the exact opening day. Fort Smith’s historic venue is ready to level up.