AM/FM, A Diner, Lounge, and Live Music Venue, Is Coming To Dallas Design District

Diner hive, rise up.

Spune Productions announced that a new diner, lounge, and live music venue is coming to the Dallas Design District. AM/FM, a diner that will open daily at 7 am, will take over the space previously occupied by Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ, which closed in November after eight years.

The press release waxes poetically about independence and Dallas’ creative community and gives major “sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name” Cheers vibes. It says that AM/FM will serve “musicians coming off late nights, workers heading into morning shifts, and neighbors who want a place that remembers their name. It’s the kind of room where coffee refills come without asking, the lighting is warm at sunrise, and the energy shifts gradually into a lounge as days turn into night.”

Matthew Harber of Spune Productions says, “This place is for the people who make Dallas what it is. Independent artists. Independent fans. People who show up for each other. AM/FM is meant to belong to them, first and always.”

The Venue & Vibes

Oh, Hi! Hospitality’s Victor Rojas emphasizes that AM/FM is for, well, everyone. “We aim to build something more than a restaurant or music venue, but a place that is at the heart of the community, where everyone is welcome.” So, whether you’re an early riser, a concertgoer, a dancer, or a “sober friend,” AM/FM has a seat for you at their tables.

Renovations began in early November when Ferris Wheelers closed. The newly-designed interior space is built “for comfort and connection,” with a new bar, banquettes that wrap around the room, and intimate corners designed for conversation.

According to Spune Productions, “The room is intimate without being small, warm without being staged; a place where a tiny show can stop you mid-sentence, or a DJ can shift the mood of the whole room with one thoughtful choice.”

Outside, things get, well, bigger. The AM/FM backyard concert venue is designed for big stages, big crowds, and long nights al fresco. Annette Marin of Spune Productions adds, “The backyard gives people room to gather in a way that’s relaxed and open. It’s built for outdoor shows that breathe. Easy, laid back, and just a good vibe.” While additional details aren’t given, the press release states that the outdoor renovations will evolve in the coming weeks, “with extra care given to the concert experience for both attendees and the neighborhood as a whole.”

The Food & Drinks

Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, who was Executive Chef at Jose for six years and will open Eledi with her Oh, Hi! Hospitality partners, is leading AM/FM’s culinary direction. She says, “We wanted the menu to feel like home. Honest, warm, and created with care. From the first 7 am breakfast to the last plate before close, the food is here to actually take care of people, not perform for them.”

As any good diner should be, the AM/FM menu will be rooted in elevated diner classics that carry guests “from first light to last call.”  In addition, the food will be heavily influenced by Mexican-American kitchens and Nuevo Southern traditions. (The press release noted these influences are “not as a statement, but as a natural extension of [their] personal stories and the North Texas region.”)

The current R&D menu on the website has us excited, as it includes everything from masa pancakes and a breakfast empanada to a “Po-Brecito Boy” sandwich and a weekly pot pie. Oh, and just pies in general. This is a diner, after all!

So, what are we drinking at AM/FM? That’s easy. Coffee, cocktails, and craft beer. No need to reinvent the (ferris) wheel.

The Opening

Here’s the game plan:

• The AM/FM lounge will open in early January with evening hours, cocktails, and a few afternoon soccer matches.
• Soft opening of the lounge is scheduled for Thursday, January 8, for the Arsenal v. Liverpool match at 2 pm.
• After January 8, the lounge will open daily at 4 pm for happy hour and late night.
• Hours will expand to include lunch the following week.
• Full opening of the diner on Tuesday, January 20.

If you always wanted to be A Regular somewhere, maybe AM/FM will be your spot? We’re interested.