Craft Beer Wah Wah
Greenville Avenue craft beer spot blames mean old Dallas for closure
Craft beer bar Dallas Beer Kitchen closed on January 24 after three years, blaming road construction on Greenville Avenue for its demise.
"Why close?" the business asked on its Facebook page. "Because the City of Dallas values sidewalks more than our small business."
Is that really true? The City of Dallas, which is widening the sidewalks and updating the drainage system between Alta Avenue and Ross Avenue, was not available for comment.
But that DBK Facebook post did provoke some responses: 18 to be exact. And while Facebook comments do not serve as the final arbiter of popularity, one could conclude that, if a closure announcement from a restaurant or bar draws only 18 protests, it might not be the road work that is at fault.
Dallas Beer Kitchen received mixed reviews, with some calling it loud and sterile. Before it opened, it ruffled feathers by stating that Lower Greenville didn't have any great beer spots. Fans of the Libertine took offense, and the statement seemed to overlook the efforts of the Bottle Shop two blocks away.
It's true that, when this particular phase of construction began, the city turned off the water without warning the businesses on the street. But other bars and restaurants nearby have not experienced the same trouble. Wabi House, next door to DBK, is doing gangbusters business, with waits on weekends.
DBK owner Bryan Kaeser, a former blogger who'd never previously owned a bar or restaurant, told WFAA that he first learned the construction was coming about a year ago. However, the project has been in the works for three years, with neighborhood and local business meetings for over a year leading up to it.
Kaeser claims that the construction resulted in a 60 percent reduction in business, and that "there should be some sort of funding to help out with something like this," for businesses such as his.
