Rodeo Dallas, a popular but controversial Deep Ellum nightclub, is getting back in the saddle. In Uptown.
“We got the lease here about three weeks ago,” said one of the owners, J.D. Ybanez. “And we’re almost finished. This build is definitely the fastest one I’ve done.”
As construction crews work at a furious pace at the corner of McKinney and Hall, the location of the old Palms lounge, Ybanez also stresses that the owners are not giving up on Deep Ellum.
The bar has been padlocked since August. The property owners sued and won a temporary injunction, convincing a judge that Rodeo Dallas was a nuisance in the area and a magnet for trouble. In court hearings, the bar operators were accused of overserving patrons, including minors and failing to check for weapons.
“They’re accusations,” stresses Ybanez. “None of it’s been proven. We’re still in court over it. And, you know, if you ask me, I think it’s just a case of discrimination. They don’t like the way our crowd looks. And that’s all it is. We have a court date set for April on that,” shares Ybanez.
In spite of the negative press and accusations associated with the lawsuit, Ybanez has this message for the bar’s soon-to-be neighbors in Uptown.
“So, any location we open, we try to kind of cultivate the neighborhood as it is. We don’t necessarily try to bring in a different clientele into a neighborhood that isn’t already there. We try to take what the neighborhood has and make it better.”
As the team takes us on a tour of the site, owner Zack Mann explains that the Uptown location will have more of a sports bar feel.
“Massive screens on the walls, a bunch of games, we will show all the fights… just a place for people to come,” explains Mann. “Yes. On a Friday and Saturday, but also on a Tuesday. Come play some games. We’ve got basketball out there. We’re going to have cornhole.”
And they’re hoping to move past the controversy at both locations.
“We’re still planning on reopening Deep Ellum as soon as we get through that, so this is not a replacement of that location. It’s an expansion of the brand.”
So far, the owners say the legal fight hasn’t cast a shadow on the new Uptown location. They’re planning for a “soft launch” on Friday.
“We just want to be positive, put our best foot forward and be great neighbors,” says Mann, “and be a great business.”
More from CBS News