“I had seen downtown McKinney changing—all of a sudden, nighttime started becoming a big deal,” Klassen said. “I decided to do a place that I would go—[where] I could go have a nice cocktail with friends.”
The venue, which opened at the end of September 2018, got its name because it originally served as a garage for Texas Power and Light Company trucks in the 1920s, Klassen said.
“It’s been very successful,” she said of the age 18-and-over venue. “Spoons is for the families, and then I call The Garage kind of the ‘grown-up Spoons.’ The decor is different—it’s just a little bit more [of a] date-night [vibe].”
The Garage’s menu includes craft cocktails, such as the Rusty Fizz, and Comfort Cups, which are smaller versions of some Spoons Cafe dishes and are served in martini glasses.
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Klassen said she has been renting out the space for private parties beyond the venue’s regular hours on Friday and Saturday nights.
“The restaurant industry is changing,” she said. “I really do not believe we will ever see it back to where it was as far as people wanting to be crowded in a [restaurant] environment.”
The Garage has found success holding customized parties for birthdays, weddings and more, Klassen explained.
“People love the atmosphere [at The Garage],” she said. “It’s quaint. It’s cool. It’s funky. You’ve got the full bar. It feels like a big living room.”
In addition to renting out the space, Klassen noted, The Garage also offers to-go craft cocktails and meals customers can pick up to take home. She said the support her businesses have received from the McKinney community has been “amazing.”
“It’s about the experience,” Klassen said of going to The Garage. “If you want to eat something fast and quick, you’re probably not going to come to downtown McKinney because you end up getting distracted and you hang out.”
The Garage
100 E. Louisiana St., McKinney
972-548-6900
https://thegaragemckinney.com/
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Open late for private events
