Carrollton's quota of hubcaps and classic cars shall soon increase with the opening of Carrollton ChopShop Sports Garage, a sports bar with an automotive theme. Nicknamed ChopShop, it comes from a pair of operators who have both worked at upscale Victory Park spots.
Sean Clavir worked at Ghostbar Dallas and Las Vegas; Josh Babb is operating partner of Kenichi and Shooters Dallas. They're targeting September for an opening date, in a space that was previously Chuck's Hamburgers.
"Sports bars are a dime a dozen, but we hope that what we're doing with the food and design will be like nothing else," Babb says. "We're working with design firm JonesBaker, who've put a brilliant spin on having a sports bar made of car parts."
"I think we're going to be more like the Truck Yard on Greenville Avenue, but a little more upscale," Josh Babb says.
They'll have at least three vintage cars in the restaurant. "One of our partners is in a car club; he builds and restores classic hot rods, and he's been a huge help in finding cool cars," Babb says.
The bar will be made entirely of car rims. Restored hot-rod hoods will hang over the top of the bar, and beer taps will be made out of wrenches. "There will be 20 beers on tap that are wrenches, and what's holding the taps is a bumper off of a Mack truck," Babb says.
A bar or restaurant with automotive decor is not unprecedented. There's Strokers Dallas, the motorcycle-tattoo-shop-bar-grill, and Gas Monkey, the car-crazed bar-restaurant-live-music venue. Even Chuy's is in the game with its salad bar sitting in the back of a classic car.
"I think we're going to be more like the Truck Yard on Greenville Avenue, but a little more upscale," Babb says.
The hot rod theme will be executed via automotive accents such as bumpers, hoods, rims, exhausts and doors, serving as the foundation for furniture, bar stools, tables and booths. An open ceiling, ductwork and concrete floor will set the tone. But, says Babb, as any collector, mechanic or auto aficionado might attest, the authenticity would be lost without obsessive organization, cleanliness and attention to detail in the decor.
They'll have TV monitors broadcasting sporting events, with an enthusiastic endorsement of the Dallas Cowboys including special events on game days.
The menu will feature burgers, salads and fried appetizers, but as conceived by Kenichi chef Bodhi Durant, which is to say, more chef-driven and high-end than your typical bar food. "Something like our pimento cheese-stuffed shishito peppers, it's a Kenichi Asian thing but with a Texas accent," Babb says.
"There's nothing over $12, but with the quality you'd expect from a big-time chef."
ChopShop plans to feature three vintage cars in the restaurant.
