Lauren Drewes Daniels
Audio By Carbonatix
In this series, we look at why local restaurants are struggling to stay afloat. Preivously we looked at how tariffs were impacting restaurants’ costs. Today we look at a timeline that starts at COVID and ends with the dreaded five-year lease cliff.
“We thought we’d succeeded. We just didn’t last as long as we expected,” says Marty Reyes.
We spoke with Marty and his wife and co-owner, Jen Ann Tonic, about the closure of their Tiki-themed bar and eatery, Swizzle. As with many of last year’s exits from the local restaurant scene, we guessed there was more to the story than a one-word shrug like “parking.” Sure enough, it’s a whale of a tale.
On the day of our chat, despite freezing temps, the pair were dressed in signature tropical attire. Jen’s cherry-red hair was adorned with an oversized flower; Marty wore a Polynesian-print shirt. Let no one say they aren’t committed to their concept, which they launched some 10 years back.
Full Speed Ahead
Cassandra Preston
“We started out as a pop-up in 2016, to build a brand, find our community, and see if Tiki could survive in Dallas,” says Jen. In the years leading up to opening their brick-and-mortar business, the pair’s gigs at various locations around town indulged aficionados and introduced new audiences to their beloved, South Pacific-inspired, cocktail-soaked fandom known as tiki.
The pop-up plan worked, and in the fall of 2020, Jen and Marty opened Swizzle at 1802 Greenville Avenue. Despite the ill-timed launch, they report a strong start. “We were so lucky in 2020 — people knew who we were already,” says Jen. “They came in in their masks, they sat separately, they did all the things.”
In addition to benefiting from an established following here in North Texas, Swizzle also counted fans throughout the travel-savvy global tiki community.
“I can’t tell you how many times we heard, ‘We came to Dallas just for you,’” says Marty.
It’s absolutely true that a visit to Swizzle was like a vacation. Decked in bamboo, wicker, and rattan, visitors to Lower Greenville could sip an umbrella drink and easily imagine themselves at a beachside dive anywhere but here. But as with any vacation, it eventually had to end.
Choppy Waters
The first hints that Swizzle had left the honeymoon behind came when COVID-era liquor shortages continued into the post-pandemic period. Even as customers dared the outside world for a taste of tiki, many distilleries stopped shipping the hard stuff due to glass and raw materials shortages. Still others had shifted to producing hand sanitizer and such.
“Rum was basically just impossible to get,” says Jen of the liquid gold upon which most tropical cocktails are built. But the new owners weren’t phased. They navigated like pros, tweaking their drink menu and rolling with the tides. But just as one squall passed, another was brewing.
Next, the couple contended with rising labor costs and a shortage of skilled service industry workers. “Either we couldn’t get people, or they wouldn’t show up,” Marty says. “It was very competitive at the time. People were paying insane amounts of money because no one could find or keep staff.”
Add in rising food costs — a pinch felt by all consumers starting in 2021 — and Swizzle was getting battered on all fronts. Often, husband and wife worked both front and back of the house by themselves, toggling from cleaning and cooking to hosting, pouring drinks, and completing the myriad admin tasks every small business must tackle.
The Perfect Storm
This timeline tracks. Sources aplenty confirm the ‘21 national liquor shortage (NPR), ‘22 restaurant labor crunch (Dallas Observer), and ongoing food price inflation (USDA). Each hit was like baling another bucket even as the water continued to seep in. And yet, Swizzle stayed afloat.
“We pivoted a lot. How much? Maybe too much,” says Jen of the couple’s management choices as years three, then four, passed by. The pair report “constantly” changing the menu (confusing), inventing creative tie-ins with brands like Jeppson’s Malort and Rhum Clement (great), and even considering a concept tweak to a more “college-friendly Miami” vibe (scrapped).
Meanwhile, customer counts were also declining. Tiki-lovers who had happily trekked in from the suburbs before were now complaining about — you guessed it — Lower Greenville parking. Still, other customers had simply moved on, as more bars and restaurants opened on the block throughout 2023 and 2024.
When Swizzle’s lease was due for renewal, the final hit from this perfect storm of circumstances proved too rough to ride out.
“We came up on our five-year, and things had changed,” says Jen. “Our block didn’t have many businesses on it in 2020, and by the time we came up to renewal, it was more valuable. So, taxes went up, and our rent was almost double.”
Saying ‘Aloha’ All Over Again
In mid-June of 2025, the couple announced Swizzle’s impending closure. The news came as a surprise to many. What had been a standout example of the quirky, unexpected side of Lower Greenville was now an indication of just how little those attributes were actually in demand in real life.
The next few weeks rolled out like a reverse housewarming party, as guests cleared the bar and took home decor items (by invitation) from Swizzle on their farewell visits. Through it all, Jen and Marty were reminded of the support they had experienced throughout their five-year, brick-and-mortar run.
“We love our landlords; they were really good to us,” says Jen. “And the media kept talking about us. We felt very seen for five years.”
And just as the pair bid ‘Aloha’ to one chapter, it was, well, ‘Aloha’ to the next. With a plan to return to those once-popular pop-ups, Swizzle made a cameo appearance at the State Fair of Texas last fall and now hosts regular events at Island Getaway Distillery in South Dallas. So far, so great, and the duo dreams ahead to even bigger venues and an “immersive experience” on the horizon.
“We really worked really hard to create this community, and we don’t want to give it up,” says Jen. “Dallas still needs tiki, whether it realizes it or not.”
