Kanvas closing in Deep Ellum after owner cites safety concerns – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

A popular Deep Ellum bar is closing its doors, with the owner saying concerns about violence in the neighborhood outweighed the business’s financial success.

Kanvas by Kevin Kelley announced on social media that Sunday, July 19, will be the business’s final day operating in Deep Ellum.

“Walking away from a business that generates millions of dollars in annual revenue and from the opportunity to generate tens of millions more over the coming years is not a decision we take lightly,” owner Kevin Kelley wrote. “But our values are clear: people will always come before profits. The safety of our guests and 1,000+ team members nationally will always come before money.”

Kelley said the business had maintained a safe environment inside the venue through its security team and staff, but said conditions outside its control ultimately led to the decision to leave.

“While we have been fortunate to maintain a safe environment inside KANVAS through the outstanding work of our security team and staff, we cannot control what happens throughout the surrounding community,” Kelley wrote. “We believe too much violence has occurred in Deep Ellum for us to continue operating there.”

He said the violence in the surrounding area “is a condition we did not create and cannot control” and made continuing to operate in Deep Ellum “inconsistent with our standards.”

“We are not willing to ask our guests or employees to accept that risk, regardless of the money to be made,” Kelley wrote.

Kelley acknowledged efforts by the City of Dallas and Westdale Management to improve public safety in the entertainment district.

“We recognize that the City of Dallas and Westdale Management are actively working to improve safety in Deep Ellum, and we sincerely hope those efforts are successful,” he wrote. “Deep Ellum is an important part of Dallas, and we wish the district, its businesses, and its residents nothing but success.”

Despite the closure, Kelley said his company plans to continue expanding.

Kelley thanked customers who supported Kanvas and encouraged them to visit his other concepts, including Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley and Club VIVO.

The closure marks another business departure from Deep Ellum, where several bars and entertainment venues have closed in recent years. Kelley did not identify a single incident that prompted the decision, instead citing ongoing concerns about violence in the surrounding area.