There’s no doubt in my mind that Koe Wetzel’s new bar will live up to its name.
Called the Riot Room, we broke the story earlier this month that the Texas rock star is set to open up at a bar and restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas soon.
The space is located at 1100 Foch Street, in what was previously a restaurant called The Dogwood, and they’re planning to have it ready sometime in February.
A fan shared this picture a couple weeks ago of what looks to be the front of the building with Koe’s signature logo plastered front and center:
They don’t have much other information out right now, though, aside from a very simple website in progress, which does feature the logo on the home page.
One of the partners and investors of the restaurant, Emil Bragdon, recently spoke to Culture Map Fort Worth about their plans and what fans can expect when visiting the new endeavor, saying he wanted to open a more casual space with a country edge, as opposed to some of his more cosmopolitan restaurants:
“All of my restaurants are high-energy nightlife type places, built out very well, but I was thinking about a place where you wouldn’t have to dress up if you didn’t want to.
My partners own country bars, they have that background. I thought if we joined forces, we could pool our expertise.”
Emil added that he met Koe through a friend, and he wants the new bar to embody Koe’s “infectious, carefree party attitude.”
He also told the publication that he and Koe sat down together and talked about every detail, from the menu to the decor and everything in between, when deciding what the feel would be and what kind of place Koe wanted to build and put his name on:
“Some of the menu correlates to some of his music as well as his upbringing.”
And of course, Koe had the final word on the name, with the full official restaurant being called Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room.
Emil says it will embody every bit of that term and what it means to have a good time… something Koe is known for doing really, really well:
“The definition a riot in this context is someone who’s fun to be around – not with people rioting. It’s a place you have fun.
Inside the venue, we’ll have that definition of ‘riot’: a bunch of people who want to have a good time.”
He says the DJ booth was made custom from a 2020 Ford F-350 truck, and is a centerpiece of the venue, but we’ll have to wait and see what the space looks like once they’re finished with a few renovations and decorating.
Of working with Koe, Emil says its been “delightful” so far, and I personally cannot wait to see how it all turns out in the near future:
