Beer news
Festive brewpub chain hits downtown Plano with craft beer and Cajun food
Voodoo Brewing
A brewpub concept from a Pennsylvania college town is on tap for downtown Plano: Called Voodoo Brewing Co., it'll open in early March at 1001 14th St. #500, on the ground floor of the Morada apartment building across from Urban Rio.
It'll be the chain's third location in Texas: The first opened in Grand Prairie in 2023 and a second recently opened in Katy.
Voodoo Brewing Co. was founded in Meadville, a small town north of Pittsburgh and home to Allegheny College. They opened their first taproom in 2012, and now have outlets in Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas.
The Plano location is from Jennifer and Jeremy Dartez, and is their first restaurant venture. Jennifer previously worked in accounting for 14 years before raising their children, and Jeremy works as an actuary.
The couple shares a passion for craft beer, and have visited breweries across the country. Joining a franchise gave them a chance to get into the industry with limited food & beverage experience. They also thought Plano needed a local brewery.
“This area between Richardson and McKinney doesn’t have many breweries,” Jennifer says. “We thought it was a fun area, and it gets a lot of traffic.”
Although a franchise, Voodoo stands out by allowing each location’s owner to customize their pub with a unique aesthetic and personalized menu additions.
"That’s one thing we really love about Voodoo — we got to make it our own,” Jennifer says.
They've given the space a cheery friendly atmosphere, with walls painted in hues of deep magenta, blue, and green, and a colorful mural by local artist Andrea Holmes, rife with family touches and references to Plano, Louisiana, and Texas.
The menu will feature the elevated bar food for which Voodoo is known, enhanced by their Cajun-inspired additions including po’boy sandwiches, boudin balls, and hush puppies.
“I really wanted to get some Cajun food on the menu,” Jennifer says. “I want to have it be Fat Tuesday every week instead of just once a year.”
They’ll also serve pizza, wings, burgers, salads, wraps, and beer cheese mac and cheese. Appetizers include pretzels, sliders, nachos, and fried pickles. There are three dessert options: beignets, churros, and bread pudding.
The company brews its beer in Pennsylvania then ships it to the local franchises. At Plano, they'll feature Voodoo's nine flagship beers which include
- Good Vibes: West coast IPA with tropical fruit notes
- Where Our Secrets Go: Dark ale with caramel and crystal malt flavors
- Lacto-Kooler: Green sour ale
- Voodoo Love Child: Pale, dry beer with cherry, raspberry, and passionfruit notes
In addition to the flagship options, they’ll offer four or five seasonal beers, as well as local craft beers and a nitro coffee on tap supplied by The Thirsty Growler in The Colony. Plus a full bar with margaritas and other cocktails.
They'll open their doors on March 8 with a celebratory and family-friendly event.
