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Arts & Entertainment

99 taps and Bud ain't one: Denton bar moguls bringing beer garden to Deep Ellum

The only way to describe Deep Ellum's current state is booming. The artsy neighborhood known for its vibrant music and nightlife scenes is a magnet for new bars and restaurants and it seems everyone wants a piece of the action.

That includes Lou Delaney, John Williams, Paul Williams and Jeff Brightwell, four Denton business owners who have plans to open a spot for booze and bites later this year.

Dot's Hop House and Cocktail Courtyard, as it's known, will take over the former Dallas Comedy House building and an additional 10,000 square feet of outdoor space, claiming one of the bigger pieces of real estate in the area. CultureMap first reported the news.

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The spot is named after Brightwell's mother, whose nickname is Dot.

"There are three things all Texas boys love: Where they're from, cold beer and their moms," he said recently by phone. "I thought it was kind of nice to wrap it all up into one."

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Brightwell and his partners, who met at the University of North Texas, own Denton hot spots East Side Denton, Lucky Lou's and Oak Street Draft House, which the Dallas Morning News named one of D-FW's best craft beer bars in 2014. (They also own another in Austin called Silo on 7th.) Brightwell assures craft beer nerds will be able to geek out here, too -- preliminary plans call for 99 draft beer taps, because "100 seems a little excessive," he joked.

While many of the details have yet to be solidified, Brightwell promised a full bar and a heavy emphasis on Texas craft beer, as well as a selection of wine. The team brought on Rodman Shields, chef at Uptown's Common Table, to devise the menu of eats, which will focus on "American fare with Texas flair," Brightwell said.

"It would be great if we could source every single thing we do in the state of Texas," he said.

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Now what about that huge outdoor patio and beer garden?

Brightwell plans for "a modern hanging gardens of Babylon," with trees, blooming shrubs, ferns and other greenery. Maybe the patio will host live music for special occasions or an artists market at some point, but the baseline idea is something comfortable and well-shaded, he said.

Dot's recently signed its lease with 42 Deep Ellum and is expected to begin construction in next couple of months. Best case scenario, Brightwell says it will open by late-fall, but that could push into early winter.

"When you start tearing into old buildings, you never know what you'll find," he said.

Dot's Hop House and Cocktail Courtyard, 2645 Commerce St., Dallas.