Our Story

The Mothership

Dunlap ATX

DunlapATX landed her Mothership in Austin, Texas, on Rainey Street in 2009, establishing the first bar to occupy Rainey Street in downtown Austin. Her name was Lustre Pearl. Soon to follow on Rainey Street was more from DunlapATX: Clive Bar, Container Bar, and Bar96.

DunlapATX offers a relaxed and vibrant space to imbibe while providing customer-forward service. Each bar has its own laid-back experience. DunlapATX prides itself on its service, respect to our clients, and an easy Austin sort of sophisticated approach while inviting all guests in to enjoy our offerings. Her Mothership also includes Lustre Pearl South, Lustre Pearl Denver, and Lustre Pearl East, including a full kitchen with upper echelon bar food.

DunlapATX not only provides libations, but most locations have food trucks so one can nosh and drink at the same time. What pleasure!

As this is being published, DunlapATX is working on more locations across the continuum.

DunlapATX Galactic Headquarters are located in Austin, Texas.

Boss Lady

Bridget Dunlap

If you have met Austin’s Rainey Street Queen, Bridget Dunlap, then you probably understand why only she, with her daring creativity and natural-born vision, could create what would become the catalyst for the transformation of the once residential neighborhood into one of Austin’s most sought-out entertainment and night-life districts: Rainey Street. She is a pioneer of what could be. She has no plans of stopping yet.

“Hearing her speak about her design process, you realize she approaches filling out spaces the same way she tackles life, casually, authentically, with a lot of guts and without an ounce of fear”
Adrienne Breaux, Culture Map Austin

Bridget Dunlap is the founder and co-creator of Dunlap ATX. She is known for her independent spirit, her creative drive, and a striking ability to foresee successful business locations. She is not shy about telling her story, how she is led by her dreams, and how she fights to make them real while having a lot of fun along the way. She is also a gambler of types and isn’t afraid of the risks, fears, and courage that are unavoidable while following the beauty of a dream. Dreams and success are never a boring endeavor. While it may look easy there is usually a least two nightmares that happen while she chases her dreams.

“Dream big and deliver on your own terms and “no” is not an option.”

Bridget Dunlap

Bridget Dunlap leapt into Pearl Bar, her first business venture in Houston feet first, with grit and a bold vision and paid off her investors within four months of opening.

This single mom working three jobs to pay rent and keep her baby in diapers could not afford to fail and would not stop until her vision was realized. Pearl Bar’s success enabled her to open Lustre Pearl bar on Rainey Street in Austin.

Where others saw a grungy, torn-down neighborhood, Dunlap recognized massive potential for the charming block already green-lighted for massive development. Lustre Pearl’s near instant success allowed her to sell off her Houston venture to invest wholeheartedly in the quickly transitioning Austin neighborhood.

Dunlap followed up her success with Lustre Pearl by opening Clive Bar and Bar 96 in quick succession, and later opening Container Bar on the same block. Her bold move to open bars on Rainey initiated a new entertainment district in Austin and heralded an era of rapid growth in that neighborhood.

While developers eventually took over the original corner lot where Lustre Pearl thrived, Dunlap and her husband, Chris Parker, picked themselves up, and dusted themselves off. When Lustre’s head was cut off, instead of two heads growing back, she sprang forth with three, more powerful than the mythical Hydra. Lustre’s reincarnation came in the form of a modern Lustre Pearl on Rainey Street, Lustre Pearl East (built around the original Lustre house), and Lustre Pearl Denver.

Facebook @BridgetDunlap
Instagram @Bridget.Dunlap

Boss Man

Chris Parker

Chris Parker has been an investor and partner in the Dunlap ATX group of companies since 2010 and currently works full time filling the role as the Chief Financial Officer for the existing businesses and Project Manager for new construction.

Prior to working with Bridget Dunlap, Parker spent 20 years in the Oil & Gas Equipment Industry in various management and sales positions.
Parker earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Texas A&M University and also earned a certificate from Rice University’s Executive Program for Managers.