When Evan and Sally Batt opened Lockwood Distilling Company in late 2019, they had a plan: start with the Richardson-based restaurant and distillery, create a following, and then as demand rose, potentially expand into beverage production.
After the pandemic hit a few months after opening, Lockwood had to pivot.
“COVID even today defines who we are,” Evan Batt said. “We found our footing and found out our voice and who we wanted to be.”
Through the pandemic, not only did Lockwood incorporate beverage production as a core part of the business, but Batt said the business also established itself as a center for community in Richardson.
The big picture
Unlike many other businesses, Batt said Lockwood was able to maintain and add staff during the pandemic as the business pivoted to beverage production. He operated business through the restaurant’s large exterior window, donated hand sanitizer and food and brought live music back to Lockwood before most other venues were able to.
“I remember vividly at the time, I was like, ‘I just wish we could have business as usual because I’ve never had it,’” Batt said. “Even though we’re years past COVID, there’s still no such thing as business as usual. I didn’t realize at the time.”
Batt said Lockwood emerged from the pandemic as a visible “leader in the community,” and as the Richardson flagship reopened its bar and restaurant, the business also began eyeing expansion.
“We kind of consider ourselves a three-headed monster in business,” Batt said.
Lockwood opened two additional locations in McKinney and Garland—like the Richardson distillery, these include a restaurant, bar and tasting room. Lockwood also opened a location inside Southern Methodist University’s football stadium this fall.
The distribution business has expanded to four states, Batt said, with three more coming next year. Lockwood also produces alcohol for about 25 different brands, Batt said, all run out of a new 20,000-square-foot facility located in a former roller skating rink.
What’s special about it?
Batt said Lockwood’s focus on quality sets it apart, from ingredients to processes.
“Our ethos is that we want to put the best thing in the bottle we possibly can,” Batt said. “Flavors and trends shift and change, but we’re always trying to improve everywhere, from beverage, food [and] community.”
On the drink menu, Lockwood offers a variety of cocktails made from the distillery’s spirits, including a Richardson mule, “espresso yourself” martini and the Lockwood 76. Specialties include bourbon cream, Batt said, as well as seasonal spirits like summer’s hibiscus vodka.
Although the company is expanding, he said Lockwood remains a smaller operation that values quality and improvement over growth.
“We’re about improvement at all costs,” Batt said. “We obviously want to grow, but there’s not a target or a line in the sand we need to hit that equals success.”
The Southern comfort food menu was initially developed by local chef Justin Box, and since then Batt said that he has also attended culinary school to build Lockwood’s food credibility.
Lockwood’s menu includes a house pastrami, made with brisket that has been brined and smoked in-house, along with marinated chicken tenders, shrimp and grits and smoked pecan pimento cheese.
“We love it when our food gets accolades or attention,” Batt said. “We say it’s a sleeper because obviously we’re spirits first, but I think it’s more special when we win awards on food, just because of the dedication we put into it.”
Staying local
Batt said his goal from the beginning at Lockwood was to make an impact on the Richardson community. Batt and his wife live in Richardson and their kids attend Richardson ISD schools.
“You’ve got to be local somewhere,” Batt said. “We’re local here.”
Batt said Lockwood supports a number of community endeavors, but focuses on supporting causes close to him and his family, including RISD and charities for ALS and Alzheimer’s disease. Lockwood also often hosts events for local organizations, such as school auctions or PTA meetings.
“The benefit of being in the community is that we know how to service the community,” Batt said. “We’ve kind of just seen who our guest is and leaned into it.”
The distillery’s slogan, “Your mom goes to Lockwood,” started in a playful place, he said, but has come to represent the community he has cultivated, where parent groups meet regularly and families come together.
“When we’re out wearing that shirt, we’ll run into somebody and nine times out of 10 some kid will point at us and be like, ‘My mom does go to Lockwood!’” Batt said.
Batt wants Lockwood to function as a gathering place where people can celebrate anything big or small. One of the best compliments the business has received, he said, was a customer telling Batt’s wife, “When I come in here, it just feels like I’m in my own living room.”
Lockwood hosts regular events almost every day, including trivia, bingo and game nights, as well as unique events put on by the in-house events coordinator, like a puzzle competition or chili cook-off.
“We call it our own Lockwood way,” Batt said. “We want to do what everybody’s not doing.”
Looking ahead
Batt said he is continuing to look for new opportunities to grow Lockwood, including exploring a potential airport location, but stressed that his priority remains improving the business that he has.
“We’re trying not to get too carried away and do too much,” Batt said. “We want to protect what we have. We want to continue to deliver on the quality and standards we’ve always had, and so growth is a byproduct of what we’ve built.”
