On September 2, Rokwood will swing open its oversized doors to Dallasites searching for an upscale nightlife experience in downtown. Situated in a squat building across from the rear entrance of the George Allen Courts Building, the nightclub and bar’s interior is designed for social media. Expect walls of assorted greenery, grandiose chandeliers, and a gold claw-foot tub inside 600 Jackson Street.
The club comes courtesy Matt Jones, the former marketing director of Plush, a Vegas-inspired downtown nightclub that closed in 2015. Jones’ latest nightlife venture hopes to be the premier club in the neighborhood’s nearly non-existent nightlife scene. Most of his competition is further north in Uptown.
He timed it well. Texans are going out again. The state’s drinkers and partiers spent a record-breaking $738 million on alcohol in May, nearly double what was recorded during the pre-vaccinated prior year. According to the Dallas Observer, Dallasites spent over $75 million in mixed beverage sales in May, a $50 million increase from the same point last year.
At its peak, Plush was listed as No. 30 on Nightclub & Bar Media Group’s top 100 list of the highest grossing venues in the nation.
This fall, Rokwood will be joined by two new similar nightclub venues: Austin transplant Green Light Social opens Labor Day weekend, and the Miami-inspired Vice Park is scheduled to open next month. The two venues are the newest additions to Deep Ellum’s nightlife district, while Rokwood will basically stand alone downtown.
“In the core of downtown Dallas there really isn’t a true nightclub experience,” says Ariana Hajibashi of Adastra Public Relations, Rokwood’s public relations firm. Nearby, the newly opened AT&T Discovery District provides more activity than what was there. “But again, those are more restaurants and not a nightclub,” she says. “We feel that we are filling the void in downtown.”
The upscale nightclub plans to bring in local talent and celebrity guests to complement its in-house DJs. Doors open on September 2. Let’s see how the Jones’ nightclub distinguishes itself in the city’s vast nightlife scene.
