A Sports Bar for Greenville
Dodie's honors Cajun roots with new sports bar on Greenville Avenue
A new sporty sibling of Dodie's called 504 Bar & Grill is coming to Greenville Avenue, within toasting distance of where the original Dodie's opened in 1989. 504 will be a sports bar, and it's going into the space at 2121 Greenville Ave. that was for decades occupied by New Big Wong.
Owner Charlie McGuinness says the plan is to get 504 open by the end of January. "Which is probably February," he says dryly.
Snagging such a prime location is a major coup, especially given the phenomenal renaissance Greenville Avenue is enjoying — one that McGuinness long preceded when he opened Dodie's 25 years ago.
Dodie's has seen some sprawling expansion, but most of the branches are franchised, including the Dodie's Reef up the street near Terilli's, the Dodie's in Allen and the Dodie's in Rockwall. The only branch with a connection to the original at 2129 Greenville Ave. is Dodie's Live in Frisco, the former Lemon Bar, which McGuinness and his son Chris are now helping to run.
With all those Dodie's circulating, McGuinness wanted to move in a new direction at the New Big Wong space.
"We're going to make it a sports bar," he says. "One of the Dodie's that my son started and then sold had a sports bar theme, and it did real well. 504 will have a limited menu of upscale bar food, including grilled oysters and some real nice stuff."
They're looking at 35 TVs and a patio that extends into the parking area. "It's one of only places on Lower Greenville that has dedicated parking," he says. "We want a nice place."
The name 504 Bar and Grill has special resonance. "504 is the area code for New Orleans," McGuinness says.
