Coronavirus News

Dallas' Gas Monkey Live fronted by Fast N' Loud's Richard Rawlings closes

Bands liked playing at the well-appointed venue.

Courtesy photo

The live music spot Gas Monkey Live in Northwest Dallas is closing, but the live music — and scheduled shows — will live on.

A spokesperson did not respond to inquiries, but present and former employees confirmed that the venue will merge with its nearby sibling Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill, located just a few doors away. The two Facebook pages have become one, the phone number is disconnected, and the Gas Monkey Live website has been abandoned and is for sale on GoDaddy.com.

Gas Monkey Live initially closed in late March due to COVID-19. At the time, they called it a temporary gesture.

While the virus is the obvious suspect for their final demise, one employee said that it was not the only factor, stating that the closure was planned before COVID. "The closure had more to do with landlord issues, the situation just accelerated the timeline," he said.

The company is currently renovating Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill, which opened in 2013. Plans include an expansion of the stage from its previous capacity of 1,000 to accommodate larger crowds. Gas Monkey Live held 3,000.

Gas Monkey Live opened in 2014 in the space formerly occupied by Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in Northwest Dallas. It was part of the empire fronted Richard Rawlings, Fort Worth native and co-star of the Discovery channel TV show Fast N' Loud, along with partner Aaron Kaufmann. The show documents their activities as they renovate old cars at Gas Monkey Garage, their hot rod and merchandise shop.

Although Rawlings was the front man for GML, the venue was run by Alex Mendonsa, who ran the House of Blues Las Vegas; talent buyer Peter Ore, formerly of Talent Live Nation Denver; and brothers Mike and Dan Flaherty of United Commercial Realty.

Bands loved playing at the venue because it was a fun stage that was spacious and well laid out, with great production and staff. They hosted a variety of genres, including many great hard rock and metal acts such as Mastodon and Helmet who played there.

The management also framed it as a perfect location for events, from convention groups to upscale corporate and social gatherings, with its three satellite bars, guitar-shaped main bar, private VIP area, in-house furnishings, concert quality stage, and state-of-the-art sound and lighting.

A number of shows on the books were canceled due to the virus, including the high-profile Ministry tour which got bumped to 2021. (All tickets for the canceled show had to be refunded and the show has been rescheduled to April 24.)

Fans liked seeing bands there because it was roomy — although a case could be made that, for the venue to prosper, it needed a packed house.

closings

Coming soon

Uptown Dallas all-day fave The Henry heads to bustling Plano development

Courtesy The Henry

Brunch at The Henry

The Henry, the swanky Uptown restaurant known for its scenic patio views and all-day menu, will soon open its second DFW location, in Plano.

According to a release, the restaurant will open its doors later this year at 7700 Windrose Ave., inside Plano’s bustling Legacy West development. Since the Uptown Dallas location debuted in 2019, The Henry has grown its presence dramatically, with around a dozen outposts across the country, including restaurants in California, Arizona, and Tennessee.

The Henry is a project of the Arizona-based Fox Restaurant Group, which also operates other upscale chains like Flower Child and North Italia. Plano will be the third Texas location for the chain, joining the Uptown restaurant and a Houston location that opened in November 2025, along with a fourth outpost that’s also set to open in Houston sometime in 2026.

At Legacy West, The Henry will occupy a 12,976-square-foot space that’s nearly as enormous as the Uptown restaurant, complete with indoor and outdoor dining spaces, an open kitchen, and a private dining room for special events. It will also boast a full-service coffee bar, which will brew lattes at breakfast and espresso martinis for a perk-up later in the day.

“The Henry is built around how people live their lives,” Fox Restaurant Concepts founder Sam Fox says in a release. “Whether it's your morning coffee or celebratory dinner, we want it to feel like a true neighborhood place. Somewhere that becomes part of your everyday routine.”

Describing itself as the “greatest neighborhood restaurant,” The Henry serves an extensive menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that range from avocado toast in the morning to short rib potstickers at lunch and classic American plates like rotisserie chicken and braised short rib with bourbon caramel sauce on the dinner menu.

There’s also a solid line-up of happy hour bites, including pretzels served with provolone fondue and spicy-tuna-topped crispy rice, to pair with discounted cocktails and glasses of wine.

The Henry is set to open at Legacy West sometime in “late 2026.” When it arrives, it will also be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with brunch on the weekends.