On Friday mornings at The Rook, nearly 50 members regularly show up for complimentary coffee and breakfast. There is no concert, no ticketed event and no elaborate agenda. They come to visit, catch up on the week and spend time together. For founder and owner Jason K. Burress, that may say more about The Rook than anything else.
“The vision has always been about community,” says Burress. “The music, the food and all of the different things we do give people reasons to come together. But what has developed between our members is the part I’m most proud of.”
That community increasingly extends beyond The Rook itself. Members who first met there now travel together, play pickleball, tennis and disc golf together, meet for coffee and organize their own activities. The Rook has also taken members beyond Adriatica for excursions to the Burress Ranch, with cookouts and live music. Those outings carry the same idea beyond the building: give people a reason to spend time together and let the relationships grow from there.
Inside, the calendar gives members plenty of reasons to keep coming back. Some nights are built around live music. Others might feature dinner, comedy, trivia, a murder mystery, a major sporting event, a family gathering or simply friends playing cards. The Rook, a members’ community in McKinney’s Adriatica Village, was created around shared experiences rather than any single kind of entertainment.
Music remains one of The Rook’s strongest calling cards, and it is meant to be heard. The intimate listening-room setting has welcomed artists including Pat Green, Mark Chesnutt, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Bellamy Brothers. October brings Wade Bowen and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon, whose catalog includes 26 No. 1 hits, including “Tennessee Whiskey,” “The Chair” and “Ocean Front Property.” On most live-music nights, the room is centered on the performance. Members are there to listen, not compete with the noise and conversation of a traditional bar or restaurant.
The scale matters. A familiar song can feel different when it is heard only a few feet from the person who wrote it or made it famous, especially when a songwriter shares the story behind it.
But the programming stretches much further. National comedian Dusty Slay and master illusionist Alex Ramon have performed at The Rook. The calendar has also included murder mystery dinner theater, Kentucky Derby parties, trivia, movie nights, college football and other sports viewings, Mother’s Day brunches, Santa events, mahjong, cards and game nights.
The Rook’s Fireside Chats may show that range best. Topics have ranged from practical advice on saving money on electricity to a conversation with Navy SEAL Will Chesney, who served on the Osama bin Laden mission. The subject can change completely from one event to the next, but the idea is the same: give members something interesting to experience together.
Food is another important part of that mix. The Rook’s commercial-grade kitchen allows the culinary team to move from casual dishes and shareable plates to multi-course dinners and special pairings. Menus change with the event and the season, so the food fits the night.
An island-inspired dinner, for example, featured four courses built around coastal flavors with optional beverage pairings. Other nights call for food designed for sharing during a game, enjoying before a performance or simply gathering around a table with friends.
“We don’t want every night here to feel exactly the same,” says Burress. “Sometimes you want a great dinner. Sometimes you want something casual before a show. Sometimes you’re here for comedy, trivia, football or something completely different. We want members to have a lot of reasons to walk through the doors.”
The beverage menu is similarly broad, with cocktails, thoughtfully made mocktails, non-alcoholic beer, premium coffee, hot teas and plenty of other choices. The idea is simple: everyone should be able to find something they enjoy.
The fireside terrace overlooking the Stonebridge Dye golf course provides another place to gather when the weather cooperates. Yet for all the headliners, dinners, speakers and special events, Friday morning coffee may provide the clearest picture of what The Rook has become. Nearly 50 people showing up simply to see one another is not something that can be manufactured with a calendar.
“You start by creating reasons for people to come together,” says Burress. “Then friendships form and eventually people don’t need us to give them a reason anymore. They’re traveling together, playing sports together, meeting for coffee and doing things on their own. That’s when you know you’ve built a community.”
Food can feed an appetite. Music can feed the soul. At The Rook, both help feed something even bigger: community.
“You start by creating reasons for people to come together. Then friendships form and eventually people don’t need us to give them a reason anymore. That’s when you know you’ve built a community.”