After months of searching, The Moon Bar on Berry Street has found a new home in the historic Ridglea Theater complex.

In November, The Moon will be officially moved into the historical theater on Camp Bowie Boulevard.

Owner Chris Maunder said the move was motivated by many reasons. In particular, he said he hoped that the new venue would bring more exposure to musicians and bands from Fort Worth.

“Hopefully it will help us move our music forward into the mainstream,” Maunder said.

He said the venue will feature more regionally and nationally recognized artists in addition to familiar local artists who play at The Moon regularly.

“We want to change up our format but still use this venue as a platform to push Fort Worth music,” Maunder said.

Weekly events such as Big Mike’s Box of Rock on Tuesdays will still be part of The Moon’s schedule, Maunder said. But customers can look forward to new specials and events, including a 3 p.m. happy hour Monday through Friday, he said.

Because the new venue is much larger, Maunder said he plans to use the space for events other than concerts. Fashion and art shows could also take place there, he said.

Maunder said that one problem with the Berry Street space was that there was not enough room for sorority and fraternity events such as mixers. The Ridglea Theater Complex venue can easily accommodate these events, Maunder said.

“I‘d really like to do more work with students,” Maunder, who is a TCU alumnus, said.

The building has been equipped with $70,000 of new lighting and sound equipment in order to facilitate bigger shows, Maunder said.

“We want it to be an experience,” he said.

Maunder said he would also like to use the new location to promote non-profit organizations.

Maunder co-founded the Fort Worth Sings for Haiti Festival in March and said he hoped to do something similar at The Moon.

Maunder is also considering a method of taking $1 from each ticket sold at the door and donating it to local non-profit organizations, he said.

“I would really like to use the venue to give back to the community,” Maunder said.

Bartender Mark Weger said although some aspects of The Moon would change, patrons could expect a similar atmosphere.

“We want to keep that dive-bar feel without that dirty bar feel,” Weger said.

Weger said one of the major reasons for the move was to promote the Fort Worth music scene.

“We hope this location will attract a broader clientèle from areas other than the TCU campus,” Weger said.

The Ridglea Theater complex location also features more parking than the Berry Street location, Maunder said. More than 500 spaces are available, and on certain nights the parking normally reserved for the Ridglea Theater can be used by Moon patrons, he said.

The Moon’s new venue will be non-smoking, but Maunder said this shouldn’t deter those who smoke from coming by.

“There’s plenty of space outside for smokers,” he said.
By moving to a new location, the bar would have the opportunity to attract more customers and grow with the surrounding community.

“We want to help out the community with this venue as well as give people a cool place to go,” Weger said.

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The Moon Bar
2911 West Berry St.
Fort Worth, Texas 76109
817-926-9600