Beloved Deep Ellum Coffee Bar Suddenly Shutters — and a New Hotspot is Already Taking its Space: Why Drugstore Cowboy Fell Off the Saddle

It looks like Deep Ellum’s Drugstore Cowboy was bucked off its horse. The bar, coffee shop and music venue abruptly closed shortly after the Fourth of July.

The business on the corner of Crowdus and Main shuttered after reportedly experiencing complications with its liquor license renewal, as first reported by Central Track. Neighboring hotspots such as Murray Street Coffee and Mokah posed competition, and apparently, the possibility of a new bar or restaurant moving in was a factor as well.

Drugstore Cowboy, which opened in early 2016, couldn’t get back in the saddle following these complications.

From the Teardrop Shot (espresso, cream and simple syrup), to The Enlightener (mezcal, agave and fresh citrus), to the Cheese Shots (cheese pairings with whiskey), to recurring DJ nights and open mic nights, Drugstore Cowboy’s restorative drinks and lounge-y atmosphere will be missed. At least the coffee-and-cocktails destination had one helluva ride.

If you’re a Deep Ellum regular nervous that the storefront at 2721 Main Street will become a ghost town, fear not. New owners plan to transform the place into a ’70s/’80s-themed bar called The Crowdus, fit to unleash your inner disco or pop star.

The masterminds behind The Crowdus — Braxton Martin, Corey Good and Justus Pinkston — are not new to the bar or the Deep Ellum scene. They are a part of the neighborhood’s restaurant renaissance with their barbershop-speakeasy, High & Tight, down the street. The 1920s-themed venue offers live music, haircuts and custom cocktails from mixologists.

The trio plans on tearing Drugstore Cowboy down to the studs and making it strictly a bar. Expect fun drinks like low-priced daiquiris and live music when it opens in late summer to early fall.

If these three can put the bar in barbershop, they can certainly bring a crowd to The Crowdus.