You don’t have to travel to Downtown Memphis to enjoy an elegant evening with cocktails and dinner.
You can just go to District 12. Literally.
District 12 Social Club — titled as DXII — is at 6642 Winchester Road, which is in district 12 of Shelby County, says owner Brent Hooks, 34.
The name also was inspired by District 12 from The Hunger Games. The people who came “from humble beginnings” in District 12 “ended up being the most prominent district out of all of them,” he says.
“Prominent district” sounds like what Hooks is going for with his social club, which joins other clubs in the area. “They’re not the same as us, but we complement them.”
Hooks, who grew up in the area, says, “We felt like it would be a good opportunity for us to create another restaurant district out of Downtown.”
DXII, which opened New Year’s Eve, has been a “tremendous success,” he says. “We got rave reviews on the decor, on our service, and our waitresses, our food and our drinks.”
They’re “still in the soft opening phase,” so they’re only open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. But they plan to add Thursday nights when they “go to full operations” in spring.
“Primarily the concept is to build a community and a landscape for creatives,” Hooks says, adding, “Mainly millennials and the generation right after us. A place owned and operated [by] — and actually for — our demographic and our peers.
“We really want people to come in and enjoy their time, network, and be able to let their hair down.”
Their customers include professional collaborators and local and national influencers, Hooks says. “Just a space where we felt like you can unwind. Where you can connect and feel safe, along with a place where you can find some good food, some craft cocktails, and entertainment all in one location.”
They wanted to “bring the Downtown feel” — physically and atmospherically — to the club. “The exposed brick. The hard texture wall. Those types of features.”
Black, gray, purple, and emerald are the colors used in the club.
“We actually have a more futuristic feel. And one of our main things was to be sure that the building had a certain flow to it. So, the bar is actually in the center, and it’s circular.”
The dress code is upscale casual, Hooks says. “More of a chic, classy feel,” Hooks says, adding, “We really are going for this sexy look, sexy feel.
“Personally, what I wear are some designer sneakers like Maison Margiela sneakers. Jeans are cool, but not sweatpants or anything like that. With shirts, I personally would wear a collared button-down shirt, but it’s not required.”
They don’t want people showing up in a “white T-shirt or something like you’re going to a basketball game.”
As for food, their menu is “ever-evolving. Since we’re in the soft-opening season, it’s not fully rolled out.”
They serve “new American-style bar food,” which includes chicken wings. “Jamaican jerk is one of our popular flavors.”
DXII also serves a variety of flatbreads, including Turks and Caicos, which is “a play on the Jamaican jerk chicken in flatbread form. It comes with a jerk and pineapple glaze.”
Hooks describes the fare as “really good bar food with more of a District 12 twist.”
That goes for their cocktails too, including the Lychee Martini, which is “vodka based and has some lemon juice and lychee juice and fruit.”
Long as Winchester, which includes several types of alcohol, is a play on Long Island iced tea. “More of a boozy drink.”
They plan to have live music in the future, but, for now, DJs are featured.
The look and sound of DXII changes after happy hour ends at 8 p.m. “We just transition to a different feel. During happy hour, the light show is not as dynamic, although we do have a pretty cool light show at that time.”
The more relaxed house music during happy hour is at a “conversational level,” Hooks says. Then everything “transitions to more of an upbeat feel. Music is a little bit louder. Not just blasting.” And the light show after 8 p.m. is “much more dynamic.”
Owning a social club is right up his alley, Hooks says. “I, personally, have been in this industry for a while. My uncle owned a nightclub, Plush Club, when I was in high school and college. And I worked there during that time period.”
Later, Hooks was co-owner of the New Daisy. “I’ve always had this interest, passion, and love for food, beverage, and hospitality. And that mix of entertainment.”
Born in Memphis, Hooks is the great nephew of the late Dr. Benjamin Hooks. After getting his undergraduate degree in accounting and finance from University of Memphis, he got an MBA in global business in grad school at Vanderbilt University. “I really have a business mind as I approach some of these ventures,” he says.
He and his cousin, Michael Hooks Jr., are owners of Allworld Project Management, an engineering firm.
Hooks and his club’s business partners are looking at other locations that would be conducive to opening food, beverage, and hospitality businesses. “Our goal was to develop a hospitality group and that’s what we’re doing,” Brent says, adding, “In the next five years, we hope to open one or two more establishments in another city or another part of Memphis.”
They’re already looking at Nashville and Birmingham, but, Brent says, “Downtown might be in our future. We do like Downtown. I live, work, and play Downtown. I’m not against Downtown.”
