RINGGOLD, Ga. -- Alvin Worley always wanted to turn the old tractor shelter behind his Ringgold home into a workshop where he and his friends could piddle around and pass the time after work.
Instead, the workshop turned into a memorabilia-covered, part-time honky-tonk, and his list of piddling friends has expanded to include some of the most powerful men in Georgia.
Worley's one-time pole barn has been enclosed, expanded, air-conditioned and decorated to become a place politicians across the state have come to know as Worley's Outback. The decor inside reveals the owner's tastes: Georgia Bulldogs, country music and Republicans.
On election night, it's usually the place that local officials -- most of whom like elephants and the color red -- go to wait out the returns.
During other times, the guest list has included Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue; U.S. Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.; Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, both R-Ga.; Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and former congressman and current gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal.
This year -- as evidence of growing acclaim -- Worley and his wife, Patsy, have been invited to an event with Secretary of State Brian Kemp, so the Outback will be quiet.
Catoosa County Probate Judge Gene Lowery called the Outback "one of the greatest places to be" on election night. Once the phone calls start coming in with returns, someone gets on the microphone and starts calling out the percentages, he said.
"If your candidate is winning, there's plenty of hootin' and hollerin' and, of course, if they're not winning, there's a lot of oohs and aahs," Lowery said.
The building, which was intended to be used for family events and is still where the Worleys carve the turkey and raise their Christmas tree, came into existence when Worley put walls around the open-air shelter in 1995. Later, he coupled it with an old schoolhouse he had moved from Murray County.
Inside, walls decorated with tin signs, antique gas pumps, autographed guitars and photos of more famous visitors surround tables and chairs from a burned-out barbecue restaurant. Outside, a vintage tin crossing guard holds a sign welcoming whichever candidate has most recently visited.
Over the years, Worley has added a stage, a dance floor, restrooms and kitchen.
"We didn't plan on it, it just sort of happened," said Worley.
The Outback's entry onto the political scene began in 2003 with an event for Lowery, followed by another for state Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga. From there, word spread that the Outback was the place to go.
"From the governor on down, everybody just started coming," Worley said.
Mullis is a regular at the Outback and was one of the first officials to hold an event there. He said the name is often confusing for leaders from Atlanta making their first trip to Worley's place. Usually, Mullis said, the officials come up looking for an Outback Steakhouse.
"I tell them, 'No, it's Alvin's Outback because it's out back behind his house," Mullis said with a laugh.
State Rep. Jay Neal, R-LaFayette, said the venue is great and always draws compliments, but the hosts make it special.
"Obviously, part of it is that Alvin and Pat are just good people," he said.
Kemp called Worley "widely respected in Northwest Georgia and across the state."
"I'm proud to have his support and look forward to visiting Catoosa County again soon," Kemp said.
Several officials have boasted that almost all the candidates who have events at the Outback go on to win elections, but Worley does not keep a win-loss record.
Worley said he focuses more on "good people" than party affiliation. There have been one or two events for Democrats at the Outback, he noted. He's never had to turn any candidate away -- word usually gets out about which candidate he's supporting in any given race, so opponents don't bother asking.
But that doesn't mean he wouldn't turn someone away.
The staunch Nathan Deal supporter said "I'd have to say no" if Deal's Democratic adversary, Roy Barnes, asked him to host an event.