Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Chamberlain.
Hi Alan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
50 West is owned and operated by Denton local Alan Chamberlain (with a little bit of help from his two daughters Jenna and Ashley).
“Growing up the middle of five kids in a pastors home in the 60s and 70s was a magical time. If the doors on our home had a lock, I don’t ever remember using them. You never knew when somebody would show up and need something. During the week the family table was our gathering place. Over the years the table hosted countless arguments, much bantering and laughter, tears, serious conversations, special observations, celebrations, as well as acknowledging life’s losses.. the whole gamut. Life happened at that table.
As to the acquisition of the real estate in Krum, I never intended to create 50 West. It evolved. Took a life of its own. It became an extension of who I am I suppose. there’s a special joy and satisfaction in redeeming something, restoring it. Whether it’s an old car, motorcycle, clock…something about bringing the object back to its original glory is very satisfying work. For me it’s always been real estate. For some reason I can always see a project finished before I ever start. I know what I want it to be. I know what it is. And the difference? That’s what I have to go to work on.
I’ve always felt that businesses- while making a living off of the community- should also greatly improve the quality of life for those who utilize their services. If I wanted to just make money, I would’ve paved it in concrete, put mini storage on it and then had cash flowing within six months. I’m eight years in and the business has been challenging, but I’m proud of what we have. I feel we have stewarded the property well, and as an optimist I know that better, greater days are ahead; for my business and for the community. I hope it can be a gathering place where folks can gather and celebrate life, acknowledge milestones, eat, dance, etc. and leave better people simply because they came here.”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been quite the journey! When we first bought the property, it was still zoned as industrial to fit what the structures (100 year old grain elevator and quonset hut) were originally built for. Working with the city to get everything re-zoned, to actually constructing and renovating the site, then opening the business, learning a difficult industry, competing with established music venues in DFW, and dealing with high overhead in a small town has definitely been challenging. It’s caused us to have to pivot several times from what we originally thought the community could want, to what the current size of the community can actually support. We are hopeful for the future though, as the DFW area continues to rapidly grow!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I (Ashley Hoggard) am the daughter of Alan Chamberlain who owns 50 West. I only currently work very part time around being a full-time mom, while my dad and other sister, Jenna Napier, run the majority of operations right now. I think we truly fit the definition of a family owned and operated small business! Alan is the visionary, the sole investor, and also does so much of the on-site operations from weed-eating to cleaning toilets, giving tours of the venue, and running private events. He does it all! Jenna is the brains/details person and handles the books, payroll, taxes, invoicing, and making sure we generally stay organized and legal, haha! I have taken various roles as the years have gone by from helping with the re-zoning, to running the social media platforms, marketing, and planning the private events. We have a few other part-time employees, of who the most important is Joseph Weaver! He has been with us through thick and thin and can literally do anything from running professional sound equipment for live concerts, to scheduling staff and floral design.
I am most proud that 50 West really is personal, warm, and straightforward. When people use us for their private events, they don’t get the phone number of a management company to work with. They work with us personally and we do our best to maintain our hard-earned reputation of exceeding expectations as much as we can. We also try to be extremely straight-forward. No hidden fees, no gimmicks- which can be hard to find in the event industry!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My mother in law taught me that quantity times breeds quality time. You often can’t just pick a day and decide, “TODAY we will have fabulous conversation and will all get along and create a core memory.” It takes lots of opportunities of being around each other for the magical moments to happen, often unexpectedly. Growing up, I saw my parents prioritize that in creating lots of opportunities for that to happen for us as a family. We spent almost every dinner around the table together, went to each others games, took trips together when we could, had family check-in’s and prayed together every night. I’m sure the majority of it was mundane, but the mundane added up to be a great childhood.
I know in part that’s what dad was trying to do when he made 50 West. It was put together excellently, but it’s certainly not the Taj Mahal! He just wanted to create a space that people could come and be together, whether that’s for a concert, a meal, playing corn hole, remembering a loved one who’s passed, or getting married. Kind of like a watering hole where people can just come and be with each other. We hope all of those small moments add up to something deeply good.
Pricing:
- All day rentals of Inland Port: $3k-$5.6K
- All day rentals of the Mural Building $1k-$1.5K
- Hourly Rentals Available
- Build-your-own packages Available
Contact Info:
- Website: https://50WestEvents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/50westkrum
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/50WestKrum
- Email: 50WestKrum@gmail.com
Image Credits
Shae Carpenter
Hector Calderon
Preston Fuqua
