Disco fever has officially hit Dallas. The city’s first hi-fi discotheque, Boogies, opened on Friday, October 3 to a packed crowd at 1806 McMillan Ave., the former home of the Whippersnapper.
“If a cocktail enthusiast and an audiophile were sprinting at each other and ran into each other, this would be the result,” says Brandon Hays of This & That Hospitality in a release. “We’re building a room for quality drinks and dancing.”
Powered by a high-fidelity Fulcrum sound system, Boogies sets a new standard for audiophiles, cocktail connoisseurs, and dancers alike. The concept is co-founded by Jake Gatewood, DJ, and producer behind Dallas’ Take a Break house music festival, and This & That Hospitality, the tastemakers behind Double D’s, Tiny Victories, High Fives, and Burger Schmurger.
For Gatewood, Boogies is a dream come true. It’s “a place in Dallas where you can be yourself, dance the night away, drink the best drinks, hear the best DJs, discover new music, meet new friends, make lifelong memories,” he expressed, in a post on Instagram.
Open Wednesday through Sunday, Boogies starts each night at 5 p.m. with a relaxed listening-lounge atmosphere and a cocktail menu by Taylor Dayton and Jeremy Koeninger. Signatures include Lets Go Disco, a refreshing mix of Cazadores, cucumber, mint and lime, and a neon-green Appletini made with Tito’s, Miradori, and apple foam. Vinyl spins until 10 p.m., and then the party truly begins.
“Everyone’s equal and that’s part of the process, and that’s what the nightclub scene went straight away from,” This and That Hospitality partner Phil Schanbaum tells DiningOut. “It went about catering to people that were buying tables only, or people being on their phone the whole time. Let’s focus on creating a great experience and treating everyone great.”
As the night progresses, Boogies transforms into a glittering, disco ball-lit dance party soundtracked house, deep house, and disco. The glassware gets tucked away, and the menu condenses to draft cocktails called the Zapper, Sweet Thang and The Hustle, that are poured into keepsake Boogies-branded plastic cups. Ready-to-go, housemade bottled drinks, such as the Boogie Banger feature a blend of Patron, housemade Boogie Juice, Jalisco 1562, Galliano, and orange foam, streamline serve and keep guests on the dance floor.
“We want people to boogie,” Gatewood says. “This is the back room you couldn’t get into at Studio 54—a place where everyone is invited. It’s for people who want great cocktails and amazing music in a safe, fun environment.”
Boogies’ breathes new life into a space that once housed Dallas’ beloved Whippersnapper, a This and That concept known for its pop culture-themed pop-ups including Barbie, the Simpson’s, and Harry Potter.
“For over a decade, we’ve had the pleasure of being a part of the evolution of this neighborhood,” says Schanbaum in a release. “The Whippersnapper was a special place for us, and its success was built on constantly reinventing the wheel. We feel like Boogies is the next evolution of Henderson Avenue, a space that is growing and evolving with the people who live here.”
Designed by Coeval Studio, the transformed space trades the Whip’s layers of caked paint for a sleek, sparkling interior. Its centerpiece, a massive, disco ball framed by a sculptural light installation, casts a hypnotic glow over the black-and-white checkered dance floor and an entryway photo booth made for documenting the night.
Boogies’ DJ program is already in full swing, with Gatewood, Yndent, and Casie Farrell hitting the decks opening night. On Saturday, November 15, Gatewood’s phone-less dance party, DISCO(NNECTED), will make its Boogies debut.
Boogies, 1806 McMillan Ave., Dallas, boogiesdtx.com
