MCM News

Mercer Boardwalk in Farmers Branch gets a hip MCM dinner-cocktail club

Copa Club menu will include these colorful nachos.

Centurion

The hipster Mercer Boardwalk complex in Farmers Branch has the ultimate hipster newcomer: Copa Club, a mid-century themed supper club slated to open in early 2024.

Mercer Boardwalk is the mixed-use project developed by Centurion American Development Group at the highly visible intersection of Luna Road and I-635 in Farmers Branch.

According to a release, Copa Club is from the team behind Hugo’s Invitados in Las Colinas; and Lost Colony, the Tulum-themed destination in Highland Village.

It will join other recently announced newcomers including Barrel & Bones Craft Bar and Smokehouse, Black Agave Cocina y Cantina, and Dough Bro’s To Go.

However, the Copa Club team feels that this concept will fill a niche.

“Copa Club will bring the unique feel of old-school Vegas to North Texas,” says Director of Guest Experience Mark Hulme. “We want to create an environment that is upscale yet approachable with a level of service that makes everyman feel like a VIP.”

Location
Copa Club will feature more than 11,000 square feet of dining and entertainment space, with a patio of almost 2,000 square feet, for a total capacity of 400. The entry will be through a clubby lounge area, with an elevated sports bar. Decor will consist of warm woods and rich leathers for upscale game-day viewing.

The main dining and ballroom will feature nightly entertainment, but at an intimate level so that visitors can enjoy each other's company as well as the food, created by chef Natalio Charles.

A collection of private dining spaces will make Copa Club an in-demand destination for community and business groups.

Experiential experience
The release says that it was important for Centurion American Development Group to bring "experiential components" to the new Mercer Boardwalk complex.

“Key changes in the retail and restaurant landscape have made experiential marketing more than just a buzzword,” says Centurion American CEO Mehrdad Moayedi. "Visitors to Farmers Branch want more than just a great meal. They want memorable touchpoints that bring them back over and over again."

Copa Club will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night, with an extensive happy hour program.

Mercer Boardwalk is adjacent to Mercer Crossing, a multi-phase development of single-family, multi-family and commercial space spanning 370 acres in Farmers Branch. The development is expanding with a new section that will include 69 townhomes early 2024 as well as the future city owned park. In addition, there are approximately 100,000 square feet of office space, several amenity centers, ample open space and walking paths.

Mercer Boardwalk will feature eight or more dining destinations and extensive retail when the 62,378-square-foot development is complete.

openings

Great catch

Austin hotspot Neighborhood Sushi makes Dallas debut in Highland Park

Photo by Justin Cook

Neighborhood Sushi has opened at the Shops at Highland Park.

A popular sushi restaurant from Austin's South Congress Avenue has landed in Dallas: Called Neighborhood Sushi, it opened June 30 at 4216 Oak Lawn Ave., in The Shops of Highland Park.

Neighborhood Sushi comes from MML Hospitality, one of Austin's biggest and most acclaimed restaurant groups, helmed by acclaimed chefs Larry McGuire and Tom Moorman and hotelier Liz Lambert.

The Dallas location is the restaurant's first outpost outside of Austin. Go Dallas!

Neighborhood Sushi debuted in Austin in 2020 on buzzy South Congress Avenue, where it built a following for its approachable take on high-quality sushi. In fact, it will be moving from that cozy location into a larger building, at 1417 S. First St., later this year, a release says.

Neighborhood Sushi The Dallas restaurant will introduce some menu items not available at the original Austin location.Photo by Justin Cook

"Known for its elevated yet approachable take on traditional sushi bar dining, Neighborhood Sushi is an 'everyday' sushi restaurant with exceptional quality, recasting the classic sushi experience through a lens of modernity, seasonality, and laid back Texan hospitality," the release says.

Neighborhood Sushi's menu features sushi bar staples including nigiri, sashimi, hand rolls, specialty rolls, and tempura. Signature items include the spicy tuna roll, shrimp tempura, and fluke roll.

The Dallas location also features a few menu items not available in Austin, including a yakitori program with skewers such as Wagyu beef, king trumpet mushrooms, asparagus, and chicken thighs. Lunch service includes chef-selected bento boxes.

Neighborhood Sushi The design features warm wood tones and minimalist Japanese-inspired interior elements.Photo by Justin Cook

The Highland Park space follows the same design style as the Austin original, with warm wood tones and minimalist Japanese-inspired interior elements intended to suit both casual meals and special occasions.

"In Austin, the restaurant’s intimate, stylish ambiance has made it a favorite for date nights and weekday happy hours, a spirit that the Dallas outpost will replicate," the release says.

Neighborhood Sushi in Highland Park is now open for lunch, happy hour, dinner, and weekend all-day dining with the following menu schedule:

Monday-Friday: Lunch 11:30 am-3:30 pm, snacks 3:30-4:30 pm, happy hour 3-5 pm, dinner 4:30-10 pm.
Saturday-Sunday: All-day menu 11:30 am-4:30 pm, dinner 4:30-10 pm.

highland park openings