Bar News

2 new companion Dallas high-energy restaurant-bars debut in Deep Ellum

There'll be food, drink, music, and games.

Photo courtesy of So Clutch

Not one but two companion high-energy restaurant-bars are coming to Deep Ellum: Called The Sporting Club and Blüm, they're side-by-side venues that will open at 2516 Florence St., right off Good Latimer Expressway, and according to a release, will make their much anticipated debut on April 15.

The venues are a new concept from SoClutch Group, a hospitality company that owns bars in Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, and Houston. They'll span 22,000 square feet, with two atmospheres for dining, drinking, and private events:

Blüm will be a Vegas-style day and night club serving Italian, Southern fusion while offering bottle service with a DJ driven high-energy atmosphere.
The Sporting Club will focus on sporting events and outdoor fun games such as corn hole, ping pong and table games. Large format cocktails and shareable bites will be offered.

The space was once home to a Sherwin Williams paint store, which has moved down the block, although its 40-foot-tall sign at the corner of Florence and Good Latimer remains. The location has been lavishly remodeled into an open concept which incorporates an extra-large outdoor space.

All rooms will have sports streaming, food, and DJ, including a lounge area that will blend the vibes of both Sporting Club and Blüm. Unique cocktails and games including vintage-style videogames will be motifs.

"We’re excited to bring The Sporting Club and Blüm to the Deep Ellum area. We’ve created a venue for the everyday sports viewer, girls night out and for people looking to take it up a level and party at our day and night club Blüm,” says Rico Taylor, Owner, SoClutch Group.

The two venues are housed in one venue, which can serve a broad range of times, from lunch to dinner to nightlife to brunch. Guests will be able to move around between spaces and have different social experiences.

Decor
Blüm is a botanical wonderland filled with a refined whimsy vibe featuring white paneled millwork paired with tropical palm wallpaper giving it a garden room feel.

The Sporting Club is a take on nostalgia and athletics with vintage patterns integrated throughout the space providing a comfortable yet energetic vibe.

A few elements have been carried throughout the whole space to provide cohesiveness such as the use of white and green to provide visual unity.

Cocktails
The extensive signature cocktail program features separate menus for both Sporting Club and Blüm inspired by the look and feel of the space.

Blüm’s drink menu includes a blend of unique libations with botanical and herbal highlights, such as the Lavender Bliss made with Gin, Lavender, Lemon, Lime and Egg White or the Night in Bangkok with Vodka, Thai Basil, Vanilla and Hellfire Bitters.

The Sporting Club menu includes four frozen drinks including the Peach Blossom Froze and the Strawberry Sangaree with Cruzan Light Rum, Red Wine, Strawberry, Orange and Nutmeg. Cocktails at the Sporting Club include the Hunting Dog featuring Vodka, Aperol, Honey, Lemon, Grapefruit and Salt, along with the Habanero Fresca made with Tequila, Cucumber, Basil, Lime and Habanero with a Tajin rim.

Additional brunch-inspired drinks will be available Saturday and Sunday. Each venue will feature beer and mimosa “Towers” that serve a minimum of four people. The drink program will also include an extensive wine and beer list.

Food
The dinner menu includes appetizers, such as the Burrata Bruschetta, Caramelized Onion Dip and a Fry Flight featuring an array of dipping sauces. Dinner options include specialty pizzas with house-made crusts, handhelds such as a Cheeseburger, Filet Sandwich or Hot & Spicy Chicken Sandwich. The menu also includes entrée options of Filet Mignon, Chilean Seabass and Double Cut Pork Chop among others. Dessert options include Confetti Cakes from local bakery Daisy Cakes. The Brunch menu includes traditional breakfast fare to include an Omelet, Eggs Benedict and breakfast with sweet options such as Blueberry Almond Buttermilk Pancakes and Italian French Toast.

SoClutch is not stopping here: They're also opening another venue called Vice Park, described as a lively Miami-influenced night club, two blocks away at 2601 Gaston Ave. in winter 2021.

The Sporting Club will be open Monday-Friday 4 pm-2 am, with weekend brunch on Saturdays-Sundays at 10 am. Blüm will be open Thursday-Friday 9 pm-2 am, Saturday-Sunday 10 am-2 am. For info, visit homeoftheplayers.com.

deep-ellum nightlife

Farm News

Dallas farm-to-table champion Profound Farms closes produce operation

Profound

Profound Microfarms

A Dallas farm-to-table champion is pulling the plug: Profound Microfarms, the small farm in Lucas that provided locally-grown produce to chefs and the general public for nearly a decade, is shutting down its growing operation and discontinuing deliveries. Their final delivery and pickup day will be May 23.

According to cofounder Jeff Bednar, they were simply unable to keep the business afloat.

"It's always been tough for small farmers, and it's only getting harder," Bednar says. "I'd hate to count how many farmers and ranchers we've known in the last 10 years that have gone out of business. Honestly, I know very few farmers that could make it with out having off-farm income from a spouse or other sources."

Jeff and Lee Bednar first bought their 2.6-acre plot in Lucas in 2014, then spent three years learning hydroponic methods and building industry relationships. In May 2017, they began selling produce to Dallas-area chefs, helping to support DFW’s burgeoning farm-to-table restaurant scene, delivering to restaurants multiple times per week.

In 2018, Profound Foods received a USDA grant to create a local "food hub" — a business that helps small farmers grow by offering a combination of production, distribution, and marketing services. At their peak, by the end of 2019, they were serving 130 restaurants.

And then the pandemic arrived. They pivoted, expanding into retail sales in March 2020, offering weekly home delivery and pickup outpost options for home consumers.

Profound Microfarms lettuce Beautiful lettuces at Profound MicrofarmsProfound Microfarms

"Unfortunately, running a year-round food hub became tougher than we can sustain right now," he says. "It's disheartening we were not able to make it work after trying for 11 years. But we were able to raise our daughters the way we wanted to and we really had a great run. Profound impacted hundreds of Dallas chefs and thousands of families in our community and we'll continue to do that, just differently."

Over the years, Profound grew from harvesting greens to aggregating and delivering for other producers, then into community gathering spaces, commercial kitchens, and hands-on education.

"Profound has never been just a farm — it’s our commitment to connecting North Texans with local food, and that commitment will keep evolving even as the farm operations wind down," Bednar says.

So while the growing part has gone away, Profound will continue hosting cooking classes and other foodie events. In the interim, they'll also be listing their plants, hydroponic supplies, and greenhouses for sale.

Some of their stats:

Moved more than $4.5 million of truly local food into North Texas kitchens.
Sent 75 cents on every dollar to 185 farmers, ranchers, and producers in North Texas.
Delivered 34,000+ restaurant and home orders.
Donated over 90,000 lbs of fresh food to area charities and food banks.
Hosted dozens of interns and hundreds of volunteers for hands-on learning on our farm.
Helped over 22 companies launch food-based business in our incubator kitchen and hub.
Hosted tours for more than 15,000 people, schoolchildren, and aspiring farmers.

closings sustainability farmer-diaries