Double D’s Honky Tonk and Smokehouse to Open in Willoughby

“This concept has been brewing for 17 years, but it took a 12-year hiatus while I was with Shake Shack,” says Dustin Dykstra.

And now that Dykstra has a space to go with the concept, he is “hitting the ground running.” The longtime hospitality pro has signed a lease for one of the most prominent commercial properties in Willoughby, formerly home to Hola Tacos and Brim Kitchen (3941 Erie St.). Sometime this spring, he will open Double D’s Honky Tonk and Smokehouse.

Dykstra is a Northeast Ohio native, but he left home to pursue a career in hospitality. For more than a decade he has worked for the Shake Shack restaurant chain. As area director, he oversaw operations at a dozen different locations in multiple states. More importantly, he worked for Danny Meyer, one of the most respected names in hospitality.

“I consider myself unbelievably lucky to have worked for him,” says Dykstra. “I got the playbook on how to do it right and intentional and with fiscal discipline, which is worth its weight in gold.”

The Brim/Hola property is an 8,000-square-foot, two-level building with massive windows, tall ceilings and exposed rafters. The upper level boasts a walkout patio with expansive views. Constructed in 2016, the property is in fine form, says Dykstra, needing only minor aesthetic work to fit his concept.

“The bones are all here,” he explains. “It’s all cosmetic work to make it feel like that Western, honky-tonk kind of space. It’s going to feel old and rustic, but not commercialized.”

The plan is to work with the modern farmhouse vibe that already exists in the white-brick and black-steel building. Design elements like reclaimed barn wood, corrugated metal, whiskey barrels, vintage milk cans and hay bales will play up the honky-tonk theme. To go with the hoedown atmosphere, there will be a menu of Southern fare that leans heavily into barbecue.

A wood-fired smoker will turn out beef brisket, pork belly, burnt ends, pulled pork, pulled chicken and smoked sausage. Those items will be served Texas-style on large platters loaded with smoked meats, pickles, onions and bread. For those who prefer to skip the barbecue there are deviled eggs, fried pickles, BLTs starring house-smoked bacon, fried chicken and smash burgers. “An ode to Shake Shack,” Dykstra says.

Of course, there will be plenty of whiskey and tequila to wash it all down.

The upper level will be home to a bar and stage for live music and line dances. There will be no food service up there, except for casual summer cookouts on the patio.

Dustin Dykstra isn’t the only “double D” in the clan, he says, stating that both his mother and his son share the alliterative condition.

“It’s just meant to be fun, eye catching,” he says about the playful name.

Look for Double D’s Honky Tonk and Smokehouse to open in the coming weeks.