Old Pumpjack Diner Building Finds New Role

Over the last 15 or so years the Pumpjack Diner on 9th street between Holiday and Broad has served a number of different businesses. After two classic diners were moved to Wichita Falls in 2004 it opened in 2005 as a dining establishment. That lasted two years. Then in 2008 it reopened as a Pioneer of Texas diner. That also lasted two years. It was later the home of Sidecar Brewery for about six months and even served a short period as the home of a Salvadoran restaurant.

Everyone I know loves the building. The shiny, classic exterior. The oil field tower rising up from the picnic area. It's just ... cool. I loved going there for burgers and shakes with friends in the afternoons or as a late night bite to eat at the end of an evening out. Great times with great friends.

Now, the iconic building and tower have a new role. As of Monday, May 24th, the doors opened as the new home of Connect Packing and Shipping.

Connect had been operating out of a building next to the Downtown Wichita Falls Farmers Market on Ohio. That building has some historic credentials, too. Situated near the railroad tracks in what was once the hub of commerce in town, it's one of the oldest buildings remaining in the whole downtown area.

But it was a little small and not the most ideal location for a packing and shipping company, so Kim Galan, the owner of the company, did some searching around and settled on the Pumpjack building.

Connect actually does a lot more than just packing and shipping things. They have a nice variety of unusual greeting cards and small gifts that can be engraved. In fact, nearly everything in their showroom is engravable.

They can also print photos on canvas and print custom banners. There's actually a do it yourself custom banner machine that lets you work through a series of options and create your own banner.

That's Kim Galan, the owner, showing me the banner making machine.

Connect Packing and Shipping also has mail boxes for rent. Unlike some mailbox locations Connect can accept deliveries from every major carrier.

Of course Connect Packing and Shipping can pack and ship almost anything for you, too. You can even watch your priceless cargo being packed up through the window in their lobby.

The also rent U-Haul trucks and trailers. Another reason that the old Pumpjack building was such a good fit for them. There's all that parking space around the original diner.

Sadly, you can't order a cup of coffee and a slice of pie inside, but Kim did volunteer the possibility of food trucks in the parking lot on the weekend. There's a perfect picnic area outside just begging to be put to use.

We'll just have to wait and see if that actually happens.

As a diner, a craft brewery, a restaurant, or a packing and shipping center, it's just great to see this wonderful building back in business.