Attorneys representing Deep Ellum bar Rodeo Dallas and the property owner who sued the business and successfully petitioned to get it temporarily shut down are both asking a judge to extend the closure for up to another two weeks.
In separate proposals filed Friday, Dave Wishnew, representing the owners of Rodeo Dallas, and Ben Riemer, representing Asana Partners, one of the largest property owners in Deep Ellum, cite “good cause” to extend a temporary restraining order to Sept. 5. Both documents say the restraining order blocking the bar from opening was due to expire on Friday.
“The court in its discretion determines that there is good cause to extend the Temporary Restraining Order by an additional two weeks so that the parties may continue efforts to implement security measures at Rodeo Dallas,” Riemer’s proposal said. Wishnew’s proposal doesn’t cite a reason, but mentions a status conference hearing held Thursday laying out why the closure should continue.
Dallas County District Court Judge Veretta Frazier hadn’t signed either proposal as of 4 p.m. Friday, according to online court records. A representative from her office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on when an order would be issued. Wishnew declined comment, and Riemer didn’t immediately respond Friday to requests for comment.
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Frazier granted Asana Partners’ request for a temporary restraining order to keep the bar’s doors closed on Aug. 8 amid ongoing public safety concerns. Both sides argued in court Aug. 14 for and against keeping the order in place, but Frazier has yet to issue any ruling — meaning Rodeo Dallas remains closed. The two-year-old bar is on the corner of Elm and Crowdus streets and known for its mechanical bull. It attracts crowds of hundreds nightly. Asana Partners is a North Carolina-based real estate firm and owns 30 properties and six parking lots in Deep Ellum, including several near Rodeo Dallas.
During the Aug. 14 temporary injunction hearing, Dallas police officers, neighboring business owners, and property owners testified that Rodeo Dallas has created unsafe conditions for both its customers and the surrounding neighborhood. Asana Partners’ attorneys argued that the bar regularly over-serves alcohol, allows underage patrons, fails to check for weapons, exceeds noise limits, and doesn’t properly manage its more than 500 customers that spill into the streets after closing at 2 a.m.
They also noted that the bar’s owners only began making changes after the city issued an official warning in July, despite previous incidents, including a fatal shooting outside the bar in March.
Rodeo Dallas’s lawyers argued that the bar is being unfairly blamed for broader public safety issues in Deep Ellum, which they say the city should address.
They said the bar is working to meet the city’s Aug. 25 deadline for improvements and that shutting it down now would be premature, especially since the city itself isn’t pushing for closure. They also argued there’s no proof that closing Rodeo Dallas would reduce crime, as the problems are spread across the entire district.
Joseph Ybanez, one of the owners of Rodeo Dallas, testified that the bar is working with the city to improve security, including enhanced training for staff and adding metal detectors. He warned that a prolonged closure of the two-year-old bar could force it to shut down for good and cost its 30-40 employees their jobs. He said the court-ordered closure cost them nearly $200,000 during the first weekend it was closed and the bar made $8 million in sales last year.
This ruling is the latest development in Deep Ellum, Dallas’s main entertainment district, where business owners, workers, and residents have been urging city officials to address ongoing issues like fights, shootings, public drinking, and businesses violating city rules. Dallas officials announced earlier Friday that they’ve added more police officers on weekends and increased nighttime staff to monitor bars and clubs — especially those known for over-serving alcohol.
Rodeo Dallas’ landlord locked everyone out on Aug. 5, but the bar owners got a court order to reopen the next day. A hearing in that case was scheduled to occur Friday, but court staff said it had been postponed.
In late July, the city warned Rodeo Dallas to correct multiple code violations by Aug. 25 or city attorneys would seek a court-ordered shutdown. The city linked 16 crimes — including disorderly conduct, public intoxication, assault and murder — to the bar over the past year. Despite repeated warnings, the city said the owners failed to make meaningful improvements.
A July inspection found Rodeo Dallas was operating as a bar and nightclub, not the restaurant its permit allows, according to the city. The bar hosts events and profits from alcohol, food, and entry fees, but it hasn’t registered as a commercial promoter or filed required safety plans. Inspectors also found maintenance issues, pest problems, and piles of trash.
The city is demanding that Rodeo Dallas make food service just as important as alcohol service — hiring kitchen staff, tracking food and alcohol sales, and promoting dining more than drinking — while also getting all the proper city permits. The bar has to keep noise under control, hire armed security to manage crowds and keep detailed incident logs, and install high-quality surveillance cameras in and outside the bar and store footage for at least 30 days.
A crowd management plan is required, including metal detectors at entrances, stricter entry rules with no new customers being let in after 1:15 a.m., and better lighting for safety. Also, all employees have to be trained in conflict resolution, responsible alcohol service, and emergency response, and the venue has to fix any building or cleanliness problems.
The city set the Aug. 25 deadline to have most of the improvements done and said an inspection would follow on that Friday. The enhanced staff training and code violations have to be improved by Sept. 25, and an inspection is set for Sept. 26. According to the city, if the bar doesn’t comply, it could lead to fines, a nuisance designation, or legal action to shut the business down.