Voodoo brewpubs in Plano and Lewisville have closed

Image credits: Voodoo Brewing Co. - Plano, Voodoo Brewing Co. - Castle Hills.

Two area franchises of the Pennsylvania-based Voodoo Brewing Co. have announced their closure, with Voodoo - Plano and Voodoo - Castle Hills in Lewisville shuttering just two days apart.

Plano was the second of five Voodoo-branded brewpubs to open in North Texas, following the lead of a venture in Grand Prairie. Since then, the Grand Prairie outlet has rebranded as an independent entity, while spots in Fort Worth, Plano and Castle Hills - Lewisville have all now closed.

Also, it should be noted that Voodoo - Castle Hills indicated their closure was temporary, but it wasn't made clear whether that means a rebrand is in the works or something else.

As for Voodoo's overall presence in Texas, a locale in College Station closed on Monday, leaving a recently-opened brewpub in Prosper as the only active franchise in the state.

Voodoo opens fifth North Texas franchise in Prosper

Moody murals and Korean Chicken Tacos at Voodoo Brewing Co. - Frontier (Photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Voodoo Brewing Co. of Pennsylvania has made its fifth foray into the North Texas market, now that the company's newest franchise is open in Prosper.

Owned by the husband-and-wife team of Shiva and Aman Kaur-Moonsammy, with along partner Paul Han, the new spot has been dubbed Voodoo Brewing Co. - Frontier. The name adopts that of its locale on 1440 W. Frontier Parkway, which by the way aligns exactly with the border separating the cities of Prosper and Celina.

Of course, by now readers should have the Voodoo drill down pat. That is, how the parent company provides the Voodoo taproom/restaurant blueprint, leaving local owners to fill in the details with regards to decor and/or specialty food items.

At Voodoo - Frontier, the decor differs from its North Texas predecessors in that it centers on a decidedly darker color palette, with black-painted walls surrounding dark wood furniture and fixtures. It's a more striking look, and one which likely lends itself to a more intimate atmosphere come evening time.

On that note, in addition to bar, table and community seating, Voodoo - Frontier offers a cozy, cocktail seating arrangement by way of a row of low-rise tables and chairs, the latter with seatbacks fashioned in the shape of a spirit barrel. Those all set up on the inside, while an array of picnic tables inhabits a small patio out front.

As for the food and drink, dining selections unique to Voodoo - Frontier don't fall into any one set category, with Cajun and Korean influences mixing with Texas-inspired fare. Examples include the Cajun Shrimp Pasta, Korean Fried Chicken (the taco option gets high marks), Beer Braised Texas Short Ribs and more.

Then for beverages, Voodoo - Frontier has a tapwall featuring 30 draft beers. Roughly a third of those are devoted to Voodoo recipes, with the rest allotted to local and national craft offerings (i.e. neighboring breweries like Armor, Rollertown, Tupps and Union Bear). Though, if you simply must drink a macro, smaller print on the menu instructs you to ask a beertender to raid the bar's hidden stash.

Beyond the beer, there's also a full bar serving wine, cocktails and spiked "Frozens" for those indulging, with coffee, tea, sodas, lemonade and mocktails available for those who are not.

Voodoo Brewing Co. - Frontier welcomes customers seven days a week, with daily hours beginning at 11 a.m.

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For info on other Voodoo Brewing Co. franchises in North Texas (past and present), click the appropriate link: Grand Prairie (re-branded), Plano, Fort Worth (closed), Lewisville/Castle Hills.

Voodoo Brewing now holding court in Castle Hills

Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

The latest in a series of Voodoo-branded franchise taprooms to land in North Texas, Voodoo Brewing Co. - Castle Hills is now open at 4400 State Hwy 121 in Lewisville.

Owned by Manal and Fahad Keen, the new Voodoo placement has set up shop in a 4,346 square foot space as part of the mixed-use development, The Realm at Castle Hills. It's the fourth foray into the Metroplex for the Pennsylvania-based parent company, following previous ventures debuting in Grand Prairie, Plano and Fort Worth*.

And naturally, there are similarities and differences when comparing Voodoo Castle Hills to its area predecessors. Readers may recall that every franchise begins with a blueprint providing access to Voodoo's culinary recipes and its line of hand-crafted beers. Individual owners then infuse a bit of their own personality into the place, either by way of the decor or by adding unique items to the menu.

In the case of Voodoo Castle Hills, differences start with the interior design. Rather than having a bar & grill or downtown pub-like feel, Voodoo Castle Hills almost comes across as a small event venue, with a very open, single-room setup where the tables are spread out and surrounded by wide-screen televisions.

Then on the food service side of things, visitors are met with a Mediterranean-inspired menu. Along with selections from Voodoo's standard range of burgers, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and more are options like the Med Zeppelin Burger, the Puffy Pita Smash Salad, the Groovin' Gyro, the Meat-iterranean Pizza (with Turkish sausage) and the Gyro Hero Bowl.

As for similarities, of course there's the beer. From a 24-handle tapwall, year-round and seasonal offerings from Voodoo pour alongside a smattering of guest beers sourced from a variety of Texas breweries. The house-to-guest beer ratio is likely to vary over time, but at least for now recipes from the Lone Star State hold a slight advantage.

Wine, cocktails, mocktails and other non-alcoholic beverages (sodas, tea, lemonade, Liquid Death Mountain Water) round out the liquid lineup, which leaves just one important amenity to mention.

Off to one side, a throne scene flanked by golden crowns has been fashioned for photo-ops...you know...for those looking to declare themselves king of Castle Hills.

Voodoo Castle Hills is open seven days a week, with daily hours beginning at 11 a.m.

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* The Fort Worth pub closed in November, while Grand Prairie is re-branding as an independent entity. Voodoo Plano continues to operate, with another project, Voodoo Brewing Co. - Frontier, currently under construction in Prosper.

Grand Prairie brewpub to rebrand, add house beers

Image credit: Rios Brewing Co.

Change is coming to what was once the Grand Prairie franchise location of Voodoo Brewing Co., as the business has gone fully independent and is rebranding as Rios Brewing Co.

Owned by Roland Rios, the Grand Prairie brewpub originally opened in May 2023 using the footprint laid out to franchisees by the Pennsylvania-based parent company. According to Rios, that partnership is no longer active, and there are now plans to expand operations.

"We are doing a complete rebrand and will start brewing our own beer onsite," says Rios. "We will be applying for a federal producer permit in the next couple of weeks. We should be done with our complete rebrand in the next six weeks and tentatively have our first batch of beer around June 1st. We will have three small five-barrel fermenting tanks that will be able to produce two batches per tank each month. We have a 44 beer tap system, so we’ll continue to carry other local craft brewer’s beer at our site."

So far, three brewpubs bearing the Voodoo name have opened in North Texas. Counting the Grand Prairie news and the closure of a Fort Worth locale in November, that leaves Voodoo Brewing Co. - Plano as the only active franchise in the area. As for others, a proposed venture in Denton was apparently abandoned sometime last year, but there are still projects under construction in both Lewisville and Prosper.

Fort Worth location of Voodoo Brewing has closed

Image © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

Though no official announcement has been made, signs point to the permanent closure of Voodoo Brewing Co. - Fort Worth (the site's Google entry has been updated, and the Facebook page taken down). This news comes just over three months after the spot opened at 1001 N. Main St. in the Near Southside neighborhood of the city.

Essentially a locally-owned and operated taproom for the Pennsylvania-based Voodoo Brewing Co., the locale in Fort Worth was the third to debut in North Texas, and fourth overall in the state - joining franchises in Grand Prairie, Plano and Katy. Another brewpub in College Station opened in late September.

Despite the closure, plans still appear to be in motion for previously announced projects in Lewisville, as part of The Realm - Castle Hills development, and in Prosper just across from Prosper ISD's Children's Health Stadium.

Voodoo Brewing opens third NTX franchise in Fort Worth

Food and drink offerings at Voodoo - Fort Worth include Key Lime Kölsch and the pub's Not a Philly Cheesesteak (© Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Voodoo Brewing Co. of Pennsylvania continues to add to its presence in Texas, this time with the recent opening of its latest franchise taproom in Fort Worth. It's the third Voodoo locale in North Texas and the fourth overall in the Lone Star State, following previous debuts in Grand Prairie, Katy and Plano.

Locally-owned by David Goldblatt, a recently retired veteran, Voodoo - Fort Worth occupies the ground floor of a building at 1001 S. Main St. in the Near Southside neighborhood of the city. This sets up on the still-developing southern border of South Main Village, placing it down a few blocks from where other popular bars and restaurants do business in the area.

Of course, by now we've covered the fundamentals of how Voodoo does its thing. The home office provides house beers and baseline food selections, while allowing local owners the freedom to add personal touches to the menu or decor. In this case, it being Cowtown, the obvious aesthetic addition is the set of longhorns on the Voodoo logo.

As for how it compares to its brethren in Plano and Grand Prairie, Voodoo - Fort Worth is most similar to Plano in terms of having a downtown neighborhood pub vibe. Beyond that, the food menu is a bit more streamlined in Fort Worth (with apps, greens, handhelds, signature pizzas and wings), and guest taps play a bigger role in the everyday beer lineup.

On that note, Voodoo - Fort Worth pours beer from 26 taps (three of which are nitro), with half of those allotted to company standards, seasonals and spontaneous releases. Examples of each currently on tap include Lacto Kooler Berliner Weisse, Key Lime Kölsch and White Magick of the Sun Belgian Wheat, respectively.

Then on remaining handles, Voodoo - Fort Worth offers a range of local and regional products from the likes of Panther Island Brewing of Fort Worth, Manhattan Project Beer Co. of Dallas, Real Ale Brewing Co of Blanco, Altstadt Brewery of Fredericksburg and others.

From there, those preferring other types of beverages will find hard seltzers, craft cocktails, Liquid Death Mountain Waters (and "Death Mixers"), mocktails, soda and apple juice as options rounding out the drink menu.

Voodoo - Fort Worth serves patrons seven days a week, with operating hours beginning at 3 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, and 11 a.m. from Wednesday through Sunday. They also have packaged beers if you're looking to grab beer to go.

Voodoo Brewing adds second NTX spot in Plano

The menu at Voodoo Brewing Co. - Plano features beers like Wynona's Big Brown Ale (a "spontaneous" release),
and Cajun-inspired food items like the Bayou Salad with Blackened Chicken ( all images © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Voodoo Brewing Co. of Pennsylvania has debuted its second franchise taproom in North Texas, this time in the heart of Historic Downtown Plano.

Located at 1001 14th St., Voodoo Plano is owned and operated by Jennifer and Jeremy Dartez. The brewpub sets up in a 3,900 square foot spot on the ground floor of Morado Plano, a five-story development described as an "ultra-modern" apartment community.

Given the locale and how the space was designed, it's obvious upon entry a different sort of vibe is in order at Voodoo Plano compared to its area predecessor which opened in May of 2023, Voodoo Grand Prairie. The latter, anchoring one end of a retail center, has a suburban bar and grill-type feel, while Voodoo Plano has more of a neighborhood pub quality.

Different yes, but it's all part of how Voodoo partnerships work. Not only do franchisees have the freedom to make design decisions which give each brewpub its own unique personality, they can also add a bit of personal flavor choice to the food offerings.

Along those lines, Voodoo Plano takes a cue from the fact that its name is synonymous with New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. As such, the menu has a Cajun flair with items like po'boys, beignets and boudin balls being notable additions to the parent company's base menu of burgers, pizzas, salads, sandwiches and more.

As for the beer, the bulk of the lineup consists of house beers brought in from The Keystone State, with year-round recipes like Good Vibes West Coast IPA and Voodoo Love Child Belgian Tripel supplemented with both seasonal and spontaneous releases (one of which, Wynona's Big Brown Ale gets high marks). You'll find a little bit of Bayou State influence here as well, with guest selections from Abita Brewing Co. of Covington, Louisiana.

Other beverages include Voodoo's Elxr hard seltzers, wines, spirits, hand-crafted cocktails, and a bevy of non-alcoholic options like root beer, sodas, and a Nitro Crème Brûlée Coffee drink courtesy of The Thirsty Growler in The Colony.

Voodoo Brewing Co. - Plano held its grand opening today, but going forward the brewpub will serve patrons seven days a week, with hours starting at 11 a.m.

Voodoo Brewing brings Pennsylvania pours to Grand Prairie

Tranquil Breezes, a West Coast-style pale ale, is one of over 20 beers on tap at Voodoo Grand Prairie (all photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Voodoo Brewing Co. of Pennsylvania announced its intent to enter the North Texas market a mere two months ago, which makes you wonder if they've got some kind of mystical magic at work, considering the brewery's first satellite taproom is already open at 1015 Ikea Pl. in Grand Prairie.

Plans for Voodoo Grand Prairie were first revealed here in late March. Since then, it's been reported that additional Voodoo locations may follow, with the cities of Fort Worth, Plano, Prosper and beyond on the company's radar.

As for Voodoo's debut in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the Grand Prairie locale is independently owned and operated by local franchisee, Roland Rios. He's overseeing a spot occupying just under 4,000 square feet in a retail development across the street from the city's Ikea furniture store.

Inside, patrons looking to take a shopping break, or perhaps seeking to soothe the stress of an afternoon assembling modular furniture, can expect to be met with a rather comprehensive menu of consumables.

Left: Chicky Chicky Bang Bang, a tikka masala fried chicken sandwich, is one of several "handies" served on a craft beer bun.
Right: A variety of Voodoo beers are available to go in cans. Select barrel-aged bombers are on sale as well.

On the food side, options begin with appetizers, burgers, pizza, wings, salads and sandwiches (or "handies"). Then there are a number of items featuring beer infusions, whether it be the beer cheese mac, beer cheese queso, beer mussels, or one of the aforementioned sandwiches served on a craft beer bun.

And speaking of beer, Voodoo brought its full portfolio to bear when stocking the Grand Prairie taproom. Twenty-four taps pour beer shipped from the company's production facility in Pennsylvania. Among the options are German styles (Berliner weisse, kölsch), Belgian classics (tripel, witbier), pale ales, IPAs, a "robust" brown ale, stouts, standard lagers and more.

More, incidentally, covers two barrel-aged beers on tap, an imperial stout called Where Our Secrets Go and a tripel named Voodoo Love Child. Both are sold in 22-ounce bombers as well, anchoring an extensive to-go selection featuring ten or more Voodoo varieties in cans.

Beyond all that, hard seltzers, hand-crafted cocktails and wine round out the boozy beverage offerings, with sodas, juices and root beer on hand as non-alcoholic alternatives. You can even buy a complimentary round of drinks for the kitchen, if you're so inclined.

Voodoo Grand Prairie is open seven days a week, with operating hours beginning at 11 a.m.

Voodoo Brewing to open first franchise in Texas

Image credit: Voodoo Brewing Co.

Building on an expansion plan that began with opening of its first taproom in 2012, Pennsylvania-based Voodoo Brewing Co. has formed a partnership to bring its brand of craft beer to North Texas.

Now under construction at 1015 Ikea Pl. in Grand Prairie, the local outlet will be owned and operated by Roland Rios, a longtime resident who has spent nearly 30 years in the paper manufacturing business. Rios has been wanting to open a pub for a few years, but rather than start from scratch in a new industry, he researched franchising opportunities and eventually landed on Voodoo.

"I came across Voodoo early last year," says Rios. "I immediately fell in love with their concept. My wife Nancy and I traveled to Pennsylvania to sample their beer and there was no turning back after that."

On how the partnership is structured, Voodoo recipes are produced in a 30,000 square foot production facility in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Finished beers are then distributed to each brewpub's satellite location. The company also provides guidance on other food and beverage aspects, but site-specific décor is mostly left to the locals.

"In addition to their crafted brews and their custom-crafted cocktails, they have a delicious [elevated pub] menu," says Rios. "I really like that they have a non-corporate culture and that their franchisees can have a lot of input on their individual pubs."

As the brewpub's address suggests, Voodoo Grand Prairie will operate in the shadow of an Ikea furniture store. The spot also has proximity to the city's EpicCentral entertainment district, placing it firmly in the midst of what promises to be a high-traffic hub.

"Grand Prairie has seen tremendous growth over just a couple of years," says Rios. "We wanted the first Voodoo Brewing Co. in Texas to be surrounded by equally great businesses. We found that spot right across the street from Ikea. In addition, they are building a Bass Pro Shop, Andretti Indoor Karting, and Shots Golf just walking distance from our pub. We couldn’t have found a better place."

Rios is hoping to complete construction by mid-April, with a grand opening to follow shortly thereafter. 

For more on Voodoo Brewing Co. and its products, visit voodoobrewery.com. You can also stay up-to-date with goings on at Voodoo Grand Prairie by following the brewpub on Facebook and Instagram.