Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Urquhart.
Rachel, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Absolutely! So, I moved to Dallas about 4.5 years ago and was SUPER eager to explore the city & all it had to offer… Except I had NO friends and had no idea where to go. Luckily, it wasn’t before long that I’d found a group of girls to hang out with, and we’d taken to Instagram to take care of the latter problem. We’d scroll through foodie accounts looking for cute spots, particularly appetizing burgers, fun cocktails, and so on.
One day, one of my friends suggested we make our account– of course, focusing on the drinks in Dallas. We’d find the best cocktails around town, snap a pic, throw a clever caption on it, and put it out there for the world of Instagram. We called it Dallas on the Rocks, and just like that… Our new passion project was born!
Of course, growing an account like this is easier said than done; after a few months, our dedication to the account dwindled, and Dallas on the Rocks moved to the back burner. It wasn’t until maybe a year later that I randomly decided to pick it up again– solo, this time around– and see what I could make of it. I’m not sure if it was the timing or better understanding of Instagram at this point, but it had started taking off!
Nowadays, it is my sole mission to be on top of the Dallas bar/restaurant scene– knowing the best happy hours, openings, menu launches, etc. to relay on to the people (much like myself four years ago) trying to experience this amazing city. Unless you follow every establishment in Dallas, it’s hard to know everything that’s happening or what places are opening/closing, so I try to streamline it all in one place.
In terms of how Dallas on the Rocks has evolved, I recently started a blog aspect– with posts ranging from where & when to get wine half priced, to where to take your friends visiting from out of town (based on your friend’s style or preferences). My next step is implementing a monthly happy hour at new spots around the city, and I am excited to announce my first one it happened on February 5! Sometimes, it’s hard for ME to even make it to these new openings without a specific event getting me out there (and it’s supposed to be my duty!), so I am doing my due diligence to create this opportunity for others who might be in the same boat. I’m hoping they gain some traction in raising awareness for these businesses and bringing a community of fun, explorative individuals together. I’m super happy with how everything has transpired over the years, and cannot wait for what is to come!
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course not– starting a drink account/blog is (perhaps surprisingly) A LOT of work! And time. Money. Potential liver damage! I kid, but obviously, drinking does take it’s the toll on the body.
I think it took some time for me to realize I needed to assess both what I wanted to put in and get out of this. Did I want it to be a business? A hobby? Something I picked up occasionally? Once I defined that, I was better able to create goals, strategies, and boundaries. It showed too! The more direction I had, the more traction I seemed to get. Naturally, the course of this all required a lot of persistence and patience, and well. I wasn’t getting thousands of followers overnight, and it took some time for ME even to see the value in what I was providing (nevermind media companies and restaurant/bar owners). I guess defining (and evolving) the vision and developing confidence in my brand were the most significant struggles.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Dallas on the Rocks is a guide on what to drink was in Dallas and beyond. What I do is threefold:
1) Instagram: I post about restaurant/bar openings, closings, happy hours, menu launches, events, and offerings.
2) Blog: I blog about everything from where to go for a girl’s night to where to grab the best margarita in town.
3) Events: I create events that bring awareness to businesses and experiences in Dallas.
In doing these, my two goals are to help people experience this city in a way that makes them love Dallas as much as I do and to help local businesses get the word out about all they have to offer. There are lots of food blogs out there, so what sets DOTR apart is that it solely focuses on drinks.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely! Dallas is the PERFECT place to start a blog like this for many reasons. Firstly, the restaurant/bar landscape is constantly changing here. We need people “in the know” of what’s happening, what’s opening, closing, etc. to inform everyone else. No one wants to follow thousands of restaurants or bars on Instagram, so it’s nice to have a few individuals streamlining this into one account. Secondly, the majority of our social lives revolve around eating and drinking (like it or not). While hiking or skiing would be a friendly alternative, it is what it is, and I think we tend to make the most of it. Lastly, there are SO many transplants– typically young 20-somethings moving to Dallas after college, or relocating for a job. Naturally, they need a little bit of assistance in figuring out where to go… *enter food/drink blogs.* And of course, In comparison to a larger city like New York or Boston, I think you can rise pretty quickly here.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dallasontherocks.com
- Email: dallasontherocks@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dallas_ontherocks
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/dallasontherocks
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
