Billy Bob’s Texas applies for new permit to reopen as a restaurant amid pandemic

Billy Bob’s Texas, the iconic honky-tonk in the Stockyards district, is expecting to open sometime in mid-August amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The venue already has a schedule of concerts lined up once it opens.

Billy Bob’s Texas is planning to reopen by applying for a permit through the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) to operate as a restaurant instead of a bar.

In late June, Gov. Greg Abbott shuttered all bars statewide via executive order after a flare-up of COVID-19 cases and an increase in positive rates. The governor’s order allowed restaurants to remain open but only at 50% capacity.

Before closing, the venue already sold food through its Honky-Tonk Kitchen that served food during lunch and dinner.

The bar’s general manager is confident that the permit application will be approved by state officials.

“We fit all the parameters that TABC has laid out. I have had conversations with TABC and feel confident that we will get our permit in a timely manner,” said general manager Marty Travis. “Other industry neighbors have applied for and gotten approved and we feel we have put ourselves in position to be prepared when that permit comes in.”

The venue already has its first concert by a band, The Bellamy Brothers, set for Friday, Aug. 14. It has four other bands scheduled to perform in August alone.

Congressman Roger Williams, R-TX 25, will be holding a news conference on Friday to highlight “the urgency of providing relief to independent live music venues through the Save Our Stages Act,” according to a news release. The congressman will be joined by artists from the Metroplex region.

According to a news release, the venue will limit its amount of tickets sold for its upcoming concerts to 1,200 tickets — 1,000 socially distanced reserved seats and 200 general admission tickets.

There will also be several safety precautions put in place like temperature checks for every employee as they enter the building. All guest-facing staff will wear gloves and face masks and hand sanitizer will be available, among many other safety measures.

Travis told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the economic impact on the venue has been “pretty substantial.”

“We typically have about 270 employees and as of today we have 10 on staff,” he said. “Obviously, as we begin to ramp up operations, we will begin to bring back furloughed employees as well as bartenders, waiters, and the rest.”

Travis also noted that Billy Bob’s Texas did not participate in any defiance of state mandates to shut down because he felt that “it was important to work with local and state officials rather than against.”

But he still finds it “frustrating” that the venue had to close down after reopening.

“It was completely frustrating. We were in full swing operations mode and felt strongly about the efficacy of our safety protocols and procedures,” Travis said.