Dallas, TX
Dallas gets its first ‘Barbie’ themed bar, cleverly called BAR-bie
Of all the Barbie themed experiences around Dallas — the sparkly cocktails, the high-heeled brunches, the pink pasta gift box? — the award for Most Dedicated goes to The Whippersnapper, a bar on Henderson Avenue.
The Whip will soon make a pink-tastic debut as BAR-bie, a “real-life rendition of the iconic DreamHouse” fit for photos, according to a statement from the bar.
You can be a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world, if only for a few weeks. The pop-up bar is expected to open at 10 p.m. Aug. 10, 2023 and close on Sept. 30, 2023. Its glitzy premiere in Big D lands nearly three weeks after the Barbie movie featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling hit the big screen.
And can they do that? The owners of The Whip have hosted pop-up bars lots of times. In early 2022, they redid the bar with Friends memorabilia, leading us to say “How you doin’?” in our best Joey voice. They’ve done the Simpsons. Breaking Bad (complete with meth-themed cocktails). Game of Thrones was a hit; so was Harry Potter. In all cases, the pop-ups have brought new fans to East Dallas to experience a once-of-a-kind spoof that isn’t being done elsewhere in the region.
Barbie was an easy “yes” for owners Phil Schanbaum and Brandon Hays, who have no affiliation with Barbie or any of the movies or shows their bar has honored over the years.
“Barbie is so nostalgic,” Hays tells The Dallas Morning News. “When we look to do pop-ups, we are looking for something that casts a big net to tons of people who want to come enjoy something that’s familiar to them. Barbie fits the bill perfectly.”
They’re also involved in a bar called Double D’s in the Design District, but — ahem — that’s not where our tall blondie will pop up.
Despite possible national backlash for a movie about a doll with a nearly unattainable body, the movie was wildly successful in its first weekend, exceeding goals with $162 million in sales in its first three days, CNBC reports. Rotten Tomatoes has it at a high rating of 89% on its Tomatometer.
“Barbie doll-ivers,” raved The Los Angeles Times.
The exterior of the Dallas bar will be redesigned to look like Barbie’s house. Inside, bargoers will find a Corvette bed and a wall of Barbie accessories.
As with all of the Whip’s pop-ups, the food and drink will match the theme. Cocktails include Life in Plastic and He’s Just Ken — though we’re not sure what’s in those yet. Dinner will include a California Club.
Customers at BAR-bie are encouraged to dress up like Barbie, Ken or their friends. (Anybody remember the controversial Midge doll?)
All are invited to bring Barbie or related accessories, which will be donated to Children’s Medical Center.
BAR-bie is at 1806 McMillan Ave. (in place of The Whippersnapper), Dallas. The BAR-bie pop-up is expected to run from Aug. 10, 2023 through Sept. 30, 2023.