Meet Jencey Keeton | Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jencey Keeton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jencey, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Originally, the idea for Sweet Tooth Hotel was born from the need to push outside of my normal day-to-day boundaries and to be able to showcase the artwork of some of our favorite Dallas artists. My husband Cole and I brainstormed on a name, what type of work would be presented and the themes of the art installations. I think because the idea seemed so huge and unreal, it also seemed impossible to go wrong. Ha ha. I think that entrepreneurship runs in my family, both my dad and brother run their own businesses although my dad is retired now. There’s something about being able to work for yourself and create a team that is so much more fulfilling than any other job I’ve had. Instead of having big wild ideas picked apart, there’s an opportunity to explore and build on them together.

What should our readers know about your business?
Sweet Tooth Hotel has not been an easy journey. Being the first immersive art installation to open in Dallas, we had to learn a lot of things as we went along. We are most proud of the fact that we are able to present local and national emerging artists and provide them a platform to show work that is their wildest dreams. We would love the world to know that we are female-founded, Dallas-local and our ticket sales go towards paying our artists for future installations. Everyone who visits is supporting funding art in Dallas.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite spots in the city are definitely Dallas staples. Unfortunately, I’m a little too busy to keep up on all the new/new but I try. We’d definitely go to All Good Cafe for breakfast, grab an old fashioned by Billy Can Can, go shopping at Dolly Python and hit up a sculpt class at Class Studios with Paige.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to give a major shoutout to the entire crew at Sweet Tooth Hotel who’s been there pretty much since the beginning of this crazy journey. Vero Deal joined during the first installation and has since become our AV specialist, she works on anything to do with audio/visual and in 2019 also took on the role of talent coordinator for some major parties. Noel Rodriguez is an inspiration as well, he joined the team during our very first installation as an art specialist and has since contributed his own fashion creations via Houz of Noel. Last but not least, our General Manager Becca Hummel joined to complete the team in 2019. Her energy and enthusiasm is infectious and there’s nothing she can’t do! Seriously. While we are showcasing the incredible work of many talented artists, our team also contributes to the art installations – painting, glueing, hammering – and then switches into operations once the installation is complete. It’s almost like magic.

Website: https://sweettoothhotel.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweettoothhotel/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweettoothhotel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKbwHBsZGCEMlXp5r4GYwkg

Image Credits

So Cozy by Hannah Busekrus (cat/mouse)
Sweet Tooth Hotel Lobby
Rigged by Niki Dionne (mirrored room)
Bloom by Alli K (black room)
Sucre Fleuf by Twinkie Chan (bakery photos)
So Cozy by Hannah Busekrus
Temporal Jungle by Molly Sydnor