Editors’ Note

As CEO of WoodHouse, a creative concept development firm he established in 2013, Brady Wood continues to redefine the industry. Wood’s work consistently fosters connections among investors, creative contributors, artists, tastemakers, and local communities, transforming his projects into integral parts of the cultural fabric. Renowned for blending business acumen and creative foresight, Wood consistently delivers transformative projects that leave a lasting impact on the communities they serve. At just 20 years old, Wood launched a hospitality company that developed over a dozen award-winning restaurants and retail spaces, skillfully leveraging real estate opportunities into both profitable ventures and iconic destinations. His expertise includes leading some of the largest land assemblages in both Fort Worth and Dallas. Wood continues to influence future thought leaders as a speaker and adjunct educator through his professional network and at his alma mater, SMU.

Company Brief

WoodHouse (woodhouseus.com) is an experiential hospitality operator and developer that creates, owns, and operates a range of concepts in the food and beverage, private social club, music, and entertainment spaces. Current projects include Dallas-based private social club, Park House, which opened its second location in Houston in 2024; the award-winning, Dallas’ chef-driven Mexican restaurant, José; Banner House at T Bar M Racquet Club, a private social and athletic club in Dallas; Citizen House private members club in Oklahoma City; The Beckwith Hotel, Club, Residences and Spa in Crested Butte, Colorado; Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tennessee; and The Moore, a landmark destination in the Miami Design District, comprised of a private members club, hotel and a collection of restaurants, retail, exhibition and event space in Miami.

Will you discuss your career journey?

My career journey has been very diverse and spanned many industries and roles. In a way I think this has helped how I approach hospitality and built WoodHouse into what it is today. Early in my career I bought an old live music venue, started my own record label and then managed bands, some of which were my friends. By managing all aspects of the musician’s journey, I was able to see voids that could become beneficial to the entire music ecosystem – and it was fun. I sold my record label and then started buying blocks of rundown buildings in Dallas. We would open cool restaurants and bars in some of the spaces, lease out the rest, then eventually sell the whole thing. We were creating experiential real estate in the ’90s before it was a thing. I founded WoodHouse back in 2013, and have since opened and created everything from a drive-in movie theater to music festivals, restaurants, a ski resort, a private club for the Dallas Cowboys, luxury branded cafes, and private members clubs around the U.S.

What was your vision for creating WoodHouse, and how do you define its mission?

WoodHouse is a visionary hospitality group that has become renowned for “destination making,” developing and operating a diverse range of upscale concepts in the food and beverage, private social club, and music and entertainment spaces around the U.S. WoodHouse has this really strong ecosystem – there are threads that connect each property. Our concepts are built to become landmarks, icons and must-see places within a community. We rarely open the second of anything, so we get to start from scratch every time. It’s harder and riskier, but it allows us to maintain our guiding principle: authenticity – and giving people cool, epic experiences. Keeping members in mind and understanding their wants have been the keys to our growth and sustained success in this industry. We are always looking to do new things to keep it fresh and customize each location to address different member and market needs, traditions, likes, dislikes, and preferences. We call it being hyper-local.

Some of the most exciting recent developments include Banner House at T Bar M, the iconic racquet club featuring a top five tennis academy and the most tennis pros in the world. We morphed the aging tennis club into an architecturally significant urban resort with a Michelin-starred chef, blue chip art, a state-of-the-art wellness offering with actual medical doctors, 35 courts for tennis, pickleball and padel, a resort style pool, a vibrant expansive clubhouse, and coming soon – a New York-style communal bath house.

We want WoodHouse to grow strategically and sustainably, and I’m excited for what’s next. We are looking to open a further 10 locations in key U.S. markets, roll-out renovations and expanded offerings at The Beckwith Ski Resort and Banner House in 2026, as well as other exciting collaborations and partnerships across the portfolio to drive growth.

Where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth?

In hospitality, wellness and community are the hottest commodities these days. What excites me most is the rise of people seeking community. In a world obsessed with social media, being online and the continued rise of AI, there seems to be a loneliness epidemic, so people are seeking new and innovative ways to make friends and social connections. This need for community has seen the private membership club model boom across the country – specifically in key regional markets like Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado, which WoodHouse has a big presence in. Private members clubs have been around since the 1800s, but we are bringing them into the future with programming featuring renowned leaders in the culinary, design, art, and hospitality worlds to curate guest experiences that people can bond over. We also see the importance of training staff to engage members to interact more by opening up conversations.

What I’m most proud of is that we have been creating various versions of communities for years. We didn’t just see the trend and jump on board. We have our 10,000 hours.

How critical has it been to build the WoodHouse team?

Having the right team and partners has been critical to WoodHouse’s journey and growth. I’ve been fortunate to work with like-minded people who are passionate and want to do cool things. Because we are in hospitality and guest services, you need a team that can execute at a very high level since great experiences only matter if they’re delivered flawlessly. At WoodHouse, we’re constantly refining our operations, investing in strong teams, and adapting to shifting cultural trends which allows us to grow while staying true to who we are.

What do you feel are the keys to providing a true luxury hospitality experience?

True luxury hospitality is about anticipating people’s needs and catering to them in the best way possible when they visit WoodHouse destinations. Our mission is to foster connections at our clubs and different locales to give people the sense of community and fellowship they’re craving. It’s not enough to just have a well-designed space – programming and events must keep members engaged.

We’ve seen members looking for new ways to enjoy our clubs so we’ve incorporated world-class offerings like our new restaurant Torno Subito by 3 Michelin-starred Chef Massimo Bottura and The Roof, a luxurious new rooftop bar space at The Moore, dynamic workspaces, engaging activities such as sushi classes, trivia night or travel clubs, or adding padel and pickleball to some clubs for our members to enjoy. This is a very competitive market so we’re constantly exploring ways to enhance our offering based on our members’ feedback.

What advice do you offer to young people interested in pursuing a career in the industry?

My biggest piece of advice to young people interested in hospitality is to find projects that inspire you and bring you joy. This has been one of my mantras throughout my entire career – to work on what you’re passionate about – and then growth and success will likely follow. Also, if you want to stand out in the hospitality industry, you should always strive to give people experiences they really want or need.

The hospitality industry is also very team-oriented, so surround yourself with people who work well as a team and have a passion for people, culture, and the guest experience.