Screenshot of KANVAS by Kevin Kelley on Google Maps.
The sports bar and lounge KANVAS by Kevin Kelley at the intersection of Main Street and South Malcolm X Boulevard announced plans to close Sunday, July 19.
In a statement posted to Facebook and Instagram, KANVAS made it clear that the reason for this decision is because of safety concerns in Deep Ellum.
“While we have been fortunate to maintain a safe environment inside KANVAS through the outstanding work of our security team and staff, we cannot control what happens throughout the surrounding community. We believe too much violence has occurred in Deep Ellum for us to continue operating there,” the statement reads. “The violence that has repeatedly occurred in the surrounding area is a condition we did not create and cannot control — and it has made continued operation in Deep Ellum inconsistent with our standards. We are not willing to ask our guests or employees to accept that risk, regardless of the money to be made. We recognize that the City of Dallas and Westdale Management are actively working to improve safety in Deep Ellum, and we sincerely hope those efforts are successful. Deep Ellum is an important part of Dallas, and we wish the district, its businesses and its residents nothing but success.”
There have been multiple shootings in Deep Ellum this year that have resulted in injury and death. To combat crime, the Deep Ellum foundation and City leaders launched the new Deep Ellum Community Safety Plan 2.0 earlier this year.
Other concepts in Dallas and abroad by Kevin Kelley, the Dallas-based entrepreneur and former attorney, will continue to operate — namely, Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley and Club VIVO, both Downtown. Other locations are planned to be added in New York, Boston, New Orleans and Detroit, according to the statement.
