The Sanctuary on 25th, or “The Sanctuary,” is one of the newest additions to Tuscaloosa’s music and food scene. With moody, cool-toned walls and beautiful pieces of wooden furniture, The Sanctuary’s beauty is remarkable.
Entrepreneur couple and UA alumni Matt and Nikki Ray saw potential in the former site of Conquerors Light Faith Center and transformed the space into a full restaurant, complete with an outdoor concert area.
Located on 25th Street — hence its name — The Sanctuary opened on Aug. 14, and according to the Rays, they have received an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the new business. Despite 20 years of experience owning their own music production studio called “Eat My Beats,” the couple has never owned a restaurant. However, with the help of family and friends, they were able to make their dream possible.
“I will say this has been the most challenging thing that I’ve ever done, but super rewarding. I enjoyed decorating and making it come to life, but a restaurant is definitely a lot of hard work,” Nikki Ray said.
The Rays aspired to bring a new feel to the area’s music scene that makes guests feel as if they have been teleported out of Tuscaloosa. Their goal was to transform the space into an eclectic, Roaring ‘20s atmosphere, serving drinks and tapas that encompass the speakeasy experience.
The Rays have taken inspiration from cities such as Raleigh, Asheville, Orlando, Denver and Nashville when developing their concert space.
“We’ve taken ideas from bigger cities and brought them to Tuscaloosa, so the reaction has been, for most people, that it does not feel like we are in Tuscaloosa anymore,” Nikki Ray said.
The Sanctuary focuses on live music, excellent service and guest satisfaction.
The Rays hope to expand their influence, welcome various performers from the Southeast, and open their event space to more student organizations, birthday parties and corporate events. But although they have those goals, they are satisfied with their start and excited to see how The Sanctuary grows over the next few months.
“Most people think of Tuscaloosa as a college town,” Nikki Ray said. “So we wanted to create something that was not on the Strip, that had a cool atmosphere and a big city feel.”
