A pair of married entrepreneurs have completely transformed an empty church on the edge of west Tuscaloosa into one of the city's finest venues for small plates, craft cocktails and live entertainment, which opened this week.

Matt and Nikki Ray have owned and operated the all-things-audio one-stop-shop Eat My Beats for 20 years. As the Thread previously reported, Their love for live music and interesting spaces led them to acquire the Conquerors Light Faith Center on 25th Avenue when its congregation sought a new place of worship last year.

In the year and a half since then, it's impossible to overstate how much work has been done to turn the unique site into a restaurant, bar and venue unlike any other in the area.

SANCTUARY MEETS SPEAKEASY

Nikki Ray told the Thread in a Wednesday interview that she and Matt have been dreaming for almost a decade about giving their passion for live music a new, permanent home in Tuscaloosa and mixing in a restaurant concept.

"Today, my Facebook reminded me the first time I made bacon-wrapped dates inspired by a tapas place in Las Vegas was seven years ago today," she said. "That's how long we've had the beginnings of this idea, when we first saw something in another city and thought, why don't we have this in Tuscaloosa?"

The idea has only grown and evolved to a new and incredible scope since the Rays got city approval to transform the Conqueror's Light church - which was built as Willcutt Memorial Baptist in 1920 - into what it has become today.

"We knew we wanted to open a place and call it Sanctuary prior to purchasing this building because our entire philosophy and vision for this was to open a place where people can find their sanctuary, whether it be in good drinks, good food or good music," Nikki Ray said. "So when we found this spot, it was a perfect fit and it has evolved to recognize the age of the space - a 1920s church filled with 1920s decor."

The Sanctuary on 25th - which celebrated its grand opening Wednesday night and is now open for business every day of the week - is essentially split in half, with a spacious restaurant on one side of the building and a quieter but still large space with its own cocktail bar that can be rented out for private events.

The restaurant side of things is cavernous and stunningly decorated, a date-night space that seats around 125 people, with a small stage where live entertainment is expected most evenings. Matt Jones was there Wednesday night to play the grand opening and will have an encore performance Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 8:30.

SMALL PLATES, BIG FLAVOR

The restaurant menu features Spanish-style tapas, or small plates, and is affordably priced for dates, families or friends to order and share.

"We have a San Jacobos, which is a traditional Spanish panko-fried ham and cheese sandwich," Nikki Ray said. "Our most popular so far is probably our bacon-wrapped dates, we have pork belly with a Korean sauce on top, fried pork skins with a chili lime salt to dip in a jalapeno pimento cheese."

The prices range from $7 to $15, with additional offerings including lobster mac & cheese, street corn dip with plantain chips, chorizo-stuffed mushrooms and more.

"The idea is that when you're listening to music and drinking you probably don't want a heavy meal." She said. "So a tapas restaurant typically offers these small plates that you and a significant other can order at least two or three, share, and get a real sample of what we have to offer."

ANTIQUE INTIMACY

On the other side of Sanctuary, patrons will find a quieter space with its own bar and restrooms, lavishly furnished with one-of-a-kind pieces the Rays found in their travels together.

"This is all furniture we've gathered from all over the region, from Texas back to Alabama at different vintage stores looking for anything that looked like it belonged in a speakeasy.," Nikk Ray said. "Matt and I basically rode around the southeast with a truck and a trailer and just picked up furniture we thought could fit."

The result on both sides of the building is two huge spaces with more personality than you can usually find in West Alabama, which drew inspiration from establishments from Denver to Raleigh and Las Vegas to Huntsville.

From wallpaper shipped from the UK to an eclectic collection of paintings and other art, each room and even the four bathrooms ooze with personality.

WINES, BEERS AND THE 7 DEADLY SINS

On the liquid side of the menu, a dizzying array of options await. The Sanctuary boasts a closet stocked with a few hundreds of bottles of wine, more than five dozen beer taps and a long list of specialty cocktails.

Nikki Ray told the Thread she's a wine lover and the selection will show that, with glasses and whole bottles available for tables.

More than 50 beers are available from over 60 total taps throughout both sides of the operation.

The real stars of the show, though, are the Seven Deadly Sins, a collection of signature craft cocktails inspired by the ancient concept of cardinal vices - Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Pride, Sloth, Envy and Wrath.

Lust is embodied by a cocktail made with reposado infused with sugar-sweet bubblegum mixed with orange liqueur, agave and lime.

Envy is a whiskey drink mixed with blueberry amaro and lemon garnish with a rosemary spring.

And each signature drink can be ordered as an alcohol-free mocktail - Humility, Generosity, Chastity, Patience, Temperance, Charity or Diligence.

The Sanctuary on 25th is open now every day, from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, then from 4 until midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

"You just have to see it to appreciate it," Nikki Ray said. "If you saw the beginning, this was a shell of a building with cinderblock - all the wood, all the fixtures, all the furniture and everything people see when they walk in has been built or bought by us."

More is also planned, with their outdoor music venue shaping up quickly and a standalone tiki bar being built beside it.

"Come visit, come see us, and please be patient," Matt Ray said. "We're new to the restaurant world and we've got plenty of new bartenders and servers, but it's going to be incredible."

For more exclusive coverage of restaurant and retail development, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.