Deep Ellum Bar News

New Crowdus Bar in Deep Ellum channels the glitzy disco days

Disco dancing is part of the deal.

Photo courtesy of Dinolion

A kitschy-cool new bar has opened in Deep Ellum, with serious retro style. Called the Crowdus Bar, it's an homage to the disco era with the sights and sounds of an early '80s disco.

Crowdus comes from Braxton Martin, Corey Good, and Justus Pinkston, of High & Tight, the barbershop-speakeasy located just a few doors away.

For Crowdus, they've taken over the corner space previously home to Drugstore Cowboy and are bringing back all the things they found to be cool from the '70s and '80s, Martin says.

That means neon lights, dancing, pinball machines, daiquiris — and a crazy collection of more than 47 disco balls spinning from the ceiling.

"It's very '80s-centric, in-your-face bright and colorful, just a fun place to dance," Martin says. "We also have food — we're doing a menu of artisanal grilled cheese sandwiches."

Those include grilled cheese on Texas toast with brisket and pepperjack cheese; an avocado-bacon grilled cheese with spinach and sharp cheddar; a "margherita pizza" grilled cheese with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil; an "ultimate" grilled cheese with onions and two cheeses, goat cheese and sharp cheddar; and a vegan grilled cheese with mushrooms, spinach, onions, and vegan mozzarella.

They'll have a full bar with what Martin calls '80s-inspired cocktails — "we'll have a pina colada, plus six machines for frozen drinks," he says.

They're still in soft opening mode, working out details on their hours and looking forward to plotting their grand opening.

But first, the coup de grace, being installed this week: a lighted dance floor. Can you say Saturday Night Fever?

"We're waiting on the last few pieces of equipment, but we're getting a massive digitally lighted dance floor," Martin says. "It'll be an LED-powered dance floor with motion sensors that change color for steps, and we can also upload images."

The 47 disco balls are also LED-powered and come in a variety of sizes, making glittery magic as far as the eye can see.

The decor has a sultry, neon-on-black scheme, which takes its inspiration from another '80s icon. "We just went crazy with the '70 and '80s theme — it's very Miami Vice," he says.

deep-ellum cocktails nightlife

McDonald's News

McDonald's closes 2 CosMc's beverage spinoffs in Dallas-Fort Worth

Photo courtesy of CosMc's

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After less than a year, McDonald's is cutting back on its CosMc's beverage spinoff, and that includes shutting down locations in Dallas-Fort Worth.

McDonald's introduced the beverage led concept in December 2023, when it opened the first location in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The concept — which seemed to be competing with Swig, the drive-through drink chain from Utah — features coffee, lemonade, slushies, and energy drinks, plus bites such as the Egg McMuffin, hashbrowns, and McPops — like doughnut holes.

They went on to open six more locations, all in Texas: two in San Antonio and four in DFW. Both San Antonio locations still show up on the website as open but two have closed in DFW so far, as follows:

Watauga at 7304 Denton Hwy.
Arlington at Abram's Alley, 300 E. Abram St. #150

Their website currently shows the Dallas location at Campbell Road, which was the original location, as still open, as well as a location in Fort Worth on McPherson Boulevard.

Despite the closures, McDonald's still plans to continue the test in the US for the foreseeable future, a spokesperson says, including opening two new smaller format stores in Texas in 2025.

That includes a location in Allen at 861 W. Stacy Rd.

The plan is to close three of the larger locations that were remodeled into CosMc’s locations — meaning that one of the locations currently still open is due to close.

"Since opening CosMc’s, we have had the benefit of testing out different location sizes and setups – from revamping larger restaurant spaces to building smaller prototype locations that focus more on the drive-thru and digital experience," their statement says. "We learned that the smaller format stores allow us to test new, unique circumstances that are reflective of our customer base. As a result, we will open two new smaller format stores in Texas in 2025, and close three of the larger locations that were remodeled into CosMc’s locations."