Harvest House, a downtown Denton event space, bar and music venue, reopened with its own in-house food truck June 26 after a transition in ownership, new owners Hannah and Matt Burks said.
The details
The bar and event venue closed June 22 and reopened June 26 while city officials performed building and fire safety inspections, the new owners said. After they acquired the business, the Burkses had to refile for a certificate of occupancy, which requires a series of building inspections, according to the city's website.
They did not make any changes to the building during the closure. All staff members kept their jobs after Matt and Hannah Burks took over the business, Matt Burks said.
"We had 100% retention," Matt Burks said. " Everyone on the entirety of the scope is still a part of the family, and that was really important to us."
What else?
The new owners do not plan to make any changes to the venue's interior, event space, drink menu or event calendar, and all events scheduled prior to the ownership change will continue as planned through the end of 2026, Matt Burks said.
The Burkses plan to make quality of life improvements to the space, including upgrading the point-of-sale system that will allow for a tap-to-pay option and treating the outdoor area for mosquitos.
"We're really just looking to be mindful on how to polish and empower the experience from both staff and and clientele to be better," Matt Burks said.
Some background
Matt Burks was born and raised in Denton and worked his way through college at the University of North Texas while bartending at bars and restaurants on Fry Street, the Denton square and around Dallas-Fort Worth.
Hannah Burks, also a UNT graduate, moved to Denton in while she was in high school and worked in hospitality and ran her own event planning business.
Matt and Hannah Burks began exploring acquiring the venue in January, Matt Burks said. Axis Realty Group announced an "opportunity for ownership" that same month.
Located near the Denton square, Harvest House opened in 2015 and is the city’s largest live music, bar and beer garden venue, according to its website. The space has local beers on tap, as well as a full service bar with specialty cocktails, mocktails and juices.
