Massive New Bar and Entertainment Complex to Touch Down in Deep Ellum

Is the Millennial Magnet a Good Fit for Dallas’ Most Eclectic Neighborhood?

The Deep Ellum Punch Drink Social is expected to open in summer 2018.

Punch Bowl Social features bowling lanes, virtual reality games and more. Here's a look at its Deep Ellum vision.

Punch Bowl Social will open at 2600 Main St.

The Deep Ellum Punch Drink Social will draw even more crowds to the city's hippest neighborhood.

Dallas’ favorite nightlife playground is about to get bigger. Restaurant, bar and entertainment concept Punch Bowl Social revealed that it will open a massive new location in Deep Ellum come summer 2018. The 23,000-square-foot complex will take shape on the edge of the neighborhood, at 2600 Main St., adjacent to Deep Ellum’s iconic neon sign.

Punch Bowl Social currently has 11 locations across the country, including one in Austin, and several more on the way. Described as a “millennial magnet,” the trendy venue brings together scratch-made cuisine, craft beverages and social gaming.

The kitchen will be open for weekend brunch, lunch, dinner, happy hour and late-night snacks. The thoughtfully curated menu is executed by James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur, author and Top Chef judge, Hugh Acheson.

The bar will serve classic and craft cocktails, along with the iconic, vintage bowls of punch that Punch Bowl Social is named for.

The Deep Ellum outpost will include eight bowling lanes, one bocce ball court, private karaoke rooms, a 360 degree bar with TVs, virtual reality game rooms, and a patio lounge. The unique, lounge-friendly environment will be decorated with an eclectic mix of mountain lodge, Victorian, modern and industrial elements.

The company feels that Deep Ellum, long known as Dallas’ most far-out neighborhood, is a perfect fit for the brand.

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“Deep Ellum is one of the city’s most popular entertainment destinations,” founder and CEO Robert Thompson said in a statement. “It boasts a strong live, work, play ethic and immediate access to the DART’s commuter rail station, attributes that resonate well with our brand and our guests. We’re thrilled to join the Dallas community and more specifically, such a vibrant and historically-relevant neighborhood as Deep Ellum.”

The multi-story mega bar will fit right in among other new additions in the neighborhood, like Harlowe MXM and Stirr – and it will likely face similar criticism from Deep Ellum purists.

What do you think: Will these steps towards gentrification diminish Deep Ellum’s vibrance, or add to the neighborhood’s multi-faceted character?