Denton's got a new family friendly watering hole with its very own built-in pizza bar. Is this heaven? We're pretty sure this is heaven. This past weekend, Backyard on Bell treated Denton to a new take on outdoor patio drinking with their soft opening. Backyard on Bell will reopen their doors on Thursday, October 6.

Scott and Cameron Bonfield, two brothers and the co-founders of Backyard on Bell, have been working tirelessly on their concept for a family friendly food truck park for little over a year. After gaining experience through owning and operating Ft. Worth Food Park and Clearfork, they realized that the concept they envisioned couldn’t come to fruition unless they started from the ground up. After scouring the metroplex for the perfect spot, the building inhabiting Ken’s Produce was the home run they had been searching for. 

Ken's Produce was a locally owned green grocer that provided mostly locally grown produce from around DFW to the table of Dentonite's for years. The business closed its doors in late August of 2013. 

Initially, the Bonfield brothers were approached by the owner of the lot adjacent to Ken's Produce (prior to it being Backyard on Bell), but it wasn’t the right fit for the team. When Joe Northern, owner of the Ken’s Produce lot, presented them with his available property, they knew this was where their aspirations would come to life. “We had to jump on the opportunity, it was the perfect place to execute our vision and make it something unique and special. Denton kind of found us to be honest,” explains Cameron.

Backyard on Bell will be Denton's second food truck park. Austin St. Food Truck Park that sits behind East Side opened up in early 2014.

The Bonfield's spot at Backyard on Bell has a lush park with a plethora of tables and trees, plenty of room inside and under coverings for when Texas weather becomes a little less than pleasant for food trucks. Not only can you take a plate of local truck offerings inside, there are also handmade pizzas readily available from a chef with roots deep in Denton's restaurant scene.

There are two spots saved for permanent food trucks to establish residence and up to 4-6 opening spaces for guests trucks available, the opportunities for this park are endless. The Bonfield brothers have relationships established with food trucks throughout the metroplex and are excited to not only be a home for some of Denton’s favorites but also provide a space for new and exciting trucks visiting throughout the DFW area.

“Everyone is really welcoming and so many are excited about what we are bringing to the community,” says Cameron Bonfield. As for why they decided to set up shop in the lil’ d, Cameron says they "wanted to create a family-friendly environment that also worked to support the local music and arts scene and with the space and the community; it’s the perfect fit.”

Their pizza is delicious paired with a pint of Audacity Sunset, you can't go wrong. We recommend "The Godfather" pizza. A 12" 'za runs you $10. Backyard on Bell offers a full bar that has easy access to the patio. Backyard on Bell is located at 410 N Bell Ave. in Denton, Texas.

Their hours of operation, beginning Thursday, October 6:
Sunday: 11am-12am
Monday: closed
Tuesday: 11am - 12am
Wednesday: 11am-12am
Thursday-Sat: 11am - 2am

Photos  by Mateo Granados
Header image design by Sara Button