Inside of the Pony, the art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Different art collection displayed at the Pony, the art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Different art collection displayed at the Pony, the art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Inside of the Pony, the art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Art director and co owner of the Pony, Izabella Tylen demonstrates a pottery making, at the new art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Crispy mortadella with pesto and stracciatella finished with garlic and hot pepper-infused oil at Pony, the new art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Pony the guitar, the namesake of new art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. It features a pottery bar where people can work on crafts while enjoying time with friends.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
The Pony will offer a variety of cocktails including the ’50s Ronson.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Team members of the Pony, pose for a photo of the art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Opening in the second half of August, Denton will have a new restaurant featuring a pottery bar, local art, Italian food and cocktails, all while guests enjoy live music.
The new concept is called The Pony, a place that hopes to become a third space for the community, where the owners seem to have a special mission.
“I want it to feel like you are in my house and I’m feeding you, and we are fellowshipping together,” said Jessica Madsen, painter and owner of The Pony.
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After spending much of their careers in the corporate world, Jessica and Owen Madsen decided to trade office life for a much more personal project.
From left, the Pony co-owners (from left) Dorian Marsh, Izabella Tylen, Jessica Madsen and Owen Madsen pose for a portrait at the new art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. It features a pottery bar where people can work on crafts while enjoying time with friends.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
The idea for this space was born during a family trip to Terlingua and Big Bend. There, in the West Texas desert, they both felt it was time to change direction.
“We decided it was time to hang up our LinkedIns, and it was time to be something that was more meaningful,” said Jessica Madsen to The News. “We were so inspired by Dorian and Izabella, my son and my new almost-daughter-in-law, and how free they were living their lives and how open they are, and we decided we wanted a piece of that as well.”
The project is entirely family-owned. Jessica is a painter, Owen is the executive chef, their son Dorian, who is also a co-owner, is a musician and serves as the director of marketing and entertainment; and Dorian’s fiancée, Izabella Tylen, is a ceramic artist and creative director.
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Together, they built much of the furniture, lighting fixtures, the stage, cushions and other decorative elements throughout the space.
The restaurant’s name also has a special meaning for the family. The Pony was inspired by the guitar Dorian used when he began playing music on the streets of Denton while studying at the University of North Texas. Dorian named his guitar “The Pony.”
Pony the guitar, the namesake of new art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. It features a pottery bar where people can work on crafts while enjoying time with friends.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
“There was never another name. It was always The Pony because it represents such an important part of our story,” Jessica said.
In addition to serving food, the establishment will have tables where guests can mold clay and paint ceramics, along with listening to live music and vinyl spinning sessions. Customers will be able to create an artistic piece while sipping a cocktail and then stay for a meal.
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“We want people to come, sit down and have a good time,” Jessica said. “Life moves too fast and we are too disconnected. This is a space to come together.”
More than food, a legacy
The food program will be led by Owen Madsen, who designed the menu inspired by family recipes as well as flavors he discovered during his travels.
His biggest influence comes from his Italian grandmother, who immigrated to the United States in the 1940s after World War II.
“I practically grew up with my grandmother,” Owen said. “One of my earliest and most fond memories is watching her bring the entire family together around the table every Sunday. That tradition is still very important to us, and that is what we want to share with our visitors.”
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Dishes will include 600-day-aged prosciutto, paninis like the one made with house-made pesto, crispy mortadella and stracciatella, and small-batch appetizers prepared with imported ingredients and local products.
Red Pie with pepperoni jalapeño and other pizzas at the Pony, the new art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. It features a pottery bar where people can work on crafts while enjoying time with friends.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
The main stars are the pizzas, such as the White Pie, with black pepper crème fraiche, smoked mozzarella and caramelized onions with toasted sesame seeds. Or the Red Pie with aged prosciutto, stracciatella, basil, parmesan and olive oil. And there’s another version of the Red Pie, with pepperoni, jalapeño, ricotta, basil, parm and olive oil.
Owen explained that he wants the quality of each ingredient to be the center of the experience.
“I have to find the best ingredients possible. That’s my way of honoring the farmers and all the people who helped bring those products to us,” he said. “My job is not to ruin them and to let the ingredients speak for themselves.”
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As part of the experience, The Pony will offer an olive oil flight that will allow diners to sample different olive oils from Madonna dell’Olivo, a small family-owned farm in southern Italy whose brand is distributed by only one other business in the United States, located in Seattle.
Different kinds of food items at the Pony, the new art-focused restaurant in Denton, on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
And for dessert, the restaurant will serve gelato made daily by a family-owned Denton-based business called Two Gentlemen of Verona, and cheesecakes and other desserts from Ivan’s Cakes & Treats, a local venture that until now has only sold at pop-ups and markets.
The space will also feature artwork for sale, including ceramics, handbags, jewelry and textiles.
For the Madsen family, the goal is to create a place where students, artists, neighbors and visitors can meet and share experiences.
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“There will be people who may never be able to travel to Florence, Rome or the Amalfi Coast,” Jessica said. “We hope that when they walk through these doors, they can experience a small piece of that here in Denton.”
The Pony will open in the second half of August at 314 E Hickory St., Suite 121, Denton. theponydenton.com.
Dining and Cooking