Local · Trusted · Free
The Morning Impact — your neighborhood's most important stories, delivered every morning.
A new art gathering space and restaurant concept will be opening in downtown Denton this summer.
The Pony will be more than a place to eat and have a drink, said Jessica Madsen, co-owner of the venue. She called the space an art bar/restaurant hybrid that is unique to the city of Denton.
The overview
The space will not only have authentic pizza, appetizers, desserts and cocktail options, but will also be a live music venue on the weekends.
The Pony will also offer small-scale pottery classes and handmade jewelry and artwork from local artists for sale by the front door.
“Our pillars are pizza, pottery, cocktails and live music,” Madsen said. "Our kids are artists and we were really inspired by the way they were living their lives so freely.”
Madsen and her husband, Owen Madsen, left the corporate world behind and were inspired to open The Pony after taking a trip to the West Texas desert. She said they saw the opportunity to live more freely, like their children, who are all adults.
Their son, Dorian Marsh, is a co-owner of The Pony and serves as the director of entertainment for the venue. He is a musician, and The Pony is named after his lucky guitar. Marsh said The Pony will have a mix of hyperlocal, regional and national talent play, and that they already have several months of acts lined up.
“We will have acts you’ve never heard of, which I think is very interesting,” Marsh said.
Along with fourth co-owner Bella Tylen, a ceramicist, the concept of The Pony came together during the West Texas trip, where they ventured into Santa Fe, New Mexico, and visited the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. After enjoying O’Keeffe’s Southwestern-style artwork, they ventured to a bar/pottery shop concept, which planted the seed for something similar in Denton.
Zooming in
The Southwestern-inspired venue has table seating, bar seating and a small stage for music, which will take place on the weekends.
Tables and chairs can be moved for a small dance floor, and Marsh said once the live music is done, the venue will put on a curated vinyl selection so people can stay and enjoy themselves.
Madsen said her husband is from Rome and will hand-cut all the ingredients, which are meant to embody the fresh, Italian style of pizza.
“[Owen] has this beautiful dough and locally sourced ingredients,” Jessica Madsen said.
The cocktail menu will be expansive, and there will be desserts brought in from Ivan’s Treats. They are also planning a brunch menu.
Tylen, who will lead the pottery portion of the concept, will help lead workshops that will use air-dry clay. Guests can use mini pottery wheels and take home their art the same day.
“There will be a calendar of events [for the workshops] along with the live music calendar,” Madsen said.
Looking ahead
The space is still being retrofitted with the final touches, but Madsen said they are aiming for a mid-July opening. She added that there will be a grand opening event that will be posted on The Pony’s social media.
