Disco Dragon closes in downtown Phoenix. Another restaurant to move in

One concept has closed, another will move and a third is on the way. What to know about the Roosevelt Row shuffle.

November 11, 2024

Image: Disco Dragon, an Asian-inspired restaurant and bar on Roosevelt Row, has closed.

Disco Dragon, an Asian-inspired restaurant and bar on Roosevelt Row, has closed. Mer Norwood

Help us weather the uncertain future

We need to raise $7,000 to meet our goal by August 10. If you’re able to make a contribution of any amount, your dollars will make an immediate difference in helping ensure the future of local journalism in Phoenix. Thanks for reading Phoenix New Times.

We know — the economic times are hard. We believe that our work of reporting on the critical stories unfolding right now is more important than ever.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal

$7,000

$3,400

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "21251496",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "21327862",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "16759093",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "17980324",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "21934225",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25          
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "17980324",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17012245",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

Disco Dragon, a two-year-old Asian-inspired restaurant and bar on Roosevelt Row, has closed, according to an announcement made on social media on Sunday.

Disco Dragon's owners, Sam Olguin and Brenon Stuart, also run Roosevelt Row bars Killer Whale Sex Club and F.Y.P.M., a cocktail bar hidden inside Disco Dragon.

In January, the pair teamed up with chef Marcelino Ramos and hospitality veteran Ivan Herrera to open their latest concept, upscale restaurant Pretty Penny. The owners also run a 20-seat bar tucked next door called Legends Never Die.

Pretty Penny will set up shop in the former location of Disco Dragon, with plans to reopen on Dec. 4.

When Pretty Penny opened, the partners acknowledged the benefits, as well as the challenges, of the restaurant’s small open kitchen. Previously, the space was home the the Olguin and Stuart’s cocktail bar Pour Bastards. The kitchen was built out in the space where a bar well once stood.

“It blows my mind every day the level of food they cook out of 70 square feet,” Olguin told Phoenix New Times in March.

Moving to a space with a full-sized kitchen will allow Pretty Penny, which was Phoenix New Times’ 2024 Best New Restaurant, to expand its menu and team, an Instagram post from the restaurant said. Among new items that guests can expect are a steak program and pasta, as well as more crudo, according to the post.

click to enlarge

Pretty Penny opened on Roosevelt Row in January. It will move across the street, reopening in the former location of Disco Dragon in December.

Sara Crocker

F.Y.P.M., the bar bathed in pink that is hidden within Disco Dragon, will remain open, and the Pretty Penny team will update its food menu, according to the announcement. The bar was among this year’s top 10 finalists for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar by Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards and named Phoenix New Times’ Best Place to Take a Cocktail Geek.

During the construction of the space around F.Y.P.M., entry to the hidden bar will be at the back of the building, according to posts on social media.

Disco Dragon opened in May 2022. It and F.Y.P.M. served a menu of Asian-inspired dishes from chef Kevin Rosales, paired with an ever-evolving menu of technique-driven cocktails.

While nothing has formally been announced about what will replace Pretty Penny, the restaurant’s Instagram offered a response to a commenter asking that very question, saying to expect “a more casual neighborhood joint” in the restaurant’s place. Meanwhile, Legends Never Die, the weekends-only walk-in bar hidden inside that location, will continue on with “expanding hours soon."

Pretty Penny

Opening Dec. 4
509 E. Roosevelt St.

Sara Crocker is a staff writer for Phoenix New Times where she focuses primarily on food. She began freelancing for New Times in July 2022 and joined the staff in February 2023. Prior to New Times, Sara worked for publications such as The Denver Post, Phoenix Magazine, Phoenix Home & Garden and Colorado Life Magazine. When she’s not reporting on the Valley’s dining scene, Sara brews beer at home and is an avid cook.

A message from Sara Crocker: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Phoenix's evolving dining scene and the chefs and restaurants that serve our community.

Support Today