New Balcony Club owners left to right: Scott Metcalfe, Toni Scott and Patrick Glennon. Photography by Danny Fulgencio
The view from the Balcony Club was so good that three friends bought the the historical Lakewood spot near the Lakewood Theater and Mi Cocina in November. It had been for sale for two to three months.
Scott Metcalfe, Patrick Glennon and Toni Scott say the seller was looking for people to maintain the club’s spirit and that the process felt like an audition.
“The landlord had other offers for more money,” Metcalfe says. “The previous owner loves the club, too, so they wanted to know us. Somebody wanted to make it a karaoke bar. The landlord said if we messed with the Balcony Club, people would come after us in a mob with torches.”
Scott’s motto? “Don’t ‘F’ it up.”
The new owners say they plan to keep the same staff, bartenders, format, sound people and bands. The previous owners had scheduled bands through early December.
The club not only features international musicians but students from Booker T. Washington High School, Woodrow Wilson High School, UNT and UTA.
“It’s a local icon,” Metcalfe says. “It’s history. There are other clubs that have good jazz one or two nights a week and they rotate acts, but this club features live music every night, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.”
Metcalfe, a retired photographer who buys and sells properties, says changes are “tweaks.” Plans include reworking the website, creating a bigger happy hour and improving plumbing, including the ladies room. Scott has a career in public relations and Glennon works in IT. “Pooling our talents is beneficial. We’re all invested financially as well as emotionally,” Metcalfe says.
Ted Davey.
The Balcony Club is more than 30 years old. Long-time owner Tommy Stanco bought the club in 1991 with Michael Solberg from founders Burke and Jo Barr. Ted Davey bought the bar in 2013 with wife, Lorena. Davey died in December 2017 at the age of 54. Days before his death, Davey signed a 10-year lease for the space, which was run by his wife, Lorena.
“Everyone is there because they love the community and the space,” Metcalfe says. “And that’s why we’re there too.”
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