Medical Center Restaurant And Bar Scene - More Coming

[eLy383Inc]

We are planning to open another location in the Medical Center, but we want to know where the best retail space would be to maximize traffic. We know rent would be high, but think the location is worth it. Just trying to get information on the most crowded spaces since we are never down there for lunch or dinner. Thanks

[houstonsemipro]

What type of restaurant you talking about opening?

[Metropolitantexan]

We are planning to open another location in the Medical Center, but we want to know where the best retail space would be to maximize traffic. We know rent would be high, but think the location is worth it. Just trying to get information on the most crowded spaces since we are never down there for lunch or dinner. Thanks

FIRST and FOREMOST just who is the big WE........for your name and overall reputation will be indicative upon the type of clientale that will be soon patronizing your business establishment, no matter where you may be located.

I have had the pleasure of working within the confines of the TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER beginning with MD Anserson CC, to my final years with the Kelsey Seybold Clinic, located within the Medical Towers building upon Fannin St. before I moved on to oil and gas ventures downtown Houston. I can honestly assure you that you MUST perform your due-diligence before you pounce down anywhere regarding any form of retail or eating establishment within this broad and growing business sector.

It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to know just who really owns whatever piece of property that you may be interested in.......and then head on from there......for in the TMC, retail land/space is at an all time shortage unless you are planning to base your business upon one of the brand new professional towers that are constantly being built, or in the planning stages.

IN REGARDS TO RETAIL TRAFFIC......this where it becomes tricky.....for the TMC, if you have been paying attention to the building patterns within the last few years......is becoming more compact, dense, as well as space age in design aspects......THEY ARE TRYING TO KEEP WORKERS, PATIENTS, PATRONS away from the busy streets as much as possible......and into one of the beautiful gleaming towers loaded with almost everything imaginable......

So take my advice.....PERFORM YOUR DUE DILIGENCE.....for this is a most inportant aspect of planning a business within the TMC.........since you are contemplating expansion, let us hope that your name and quality standards are held in high regard.......for believe me when I say that in dealing with doctors and medical professionals, it is very important......for they can make you are break you when it comes to their patients are patrons.........BEST OF LUCK TO YOU AND YOURS ON YOUR PROSPECTIVE VENTURE!

Metropolitantexan

Vince Young is coming home soon......

[Jeebus]

We are planning to open another location in the Medical Center..

Where is your first location, and what is it?

[eLy383Inc]

We currently have a location in Downtown and patronize mostly professionals. We also cater to many offices in the TMC already. I didn't mention our name since I didn't want to self promote. I'm pretty certain our reputation and quailty standards are in high regard or at least we do our very best to keep it that way. I just wanted to know if any here on this board knew of any good hotspots. Driving around in the TMC, you do not see many retail areas except around Dryden. Posting here in the first place is part of my initial DDs.

[Metropolitantexan]

We currently have a location in Downtown and patronize mostly professionals. We also cater to many offices in the TMC already. I didn't mention our name since I didn't want to self promote. I'm pretty certain our reputation and quailty standards are in high regard or at least we do our very best to keep it that way. I just wanted to know if any here on this board knew of any good hotspots. Driving around in the TMC, you do not see many retail areas except around Dryden. Posting here in the first place is part of my initial DDs.

Being anonymous while providing queries, can very easily serve it's purpose, but it could also discern your credibility.

It should become very evident, that the reason we would like to know your namesake or what type of services you will render, is because it will allow those of us who are familiar with the overall area and it's practices to better assist you.........

Nevertheless, you have stated above that you already cater to many offices within the TMC.....well that provides me with the knowledge that at least you pretty much know your prospective clientale, as well as their eating/spending habits. Please allow me the opportunity to suggest that you look into establishing your prospective venture into one of the newly planned or already established professional office towers (St. Luke's Med Towers, Methodist Scurlock Tower, or even the Memorial Hermann Plaza currently under construction......) you may be surprised at how they can design your establishment to stand out amongst the crowd............and please believe me, there will very well be a crowd, if you offer high quality as well as consistency in regards to your product....... I DO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M SPEAKING OF IN THIS REGARD......

TRUST ME! It is not going to be your average "walk in from the street patron" that will allow you the financial windfall within the TMC.........It will be your call-in orders.......in the aforementioned, you stated the word "HOTSPOTS" well, regarding the TMC......how do you suppose that they become that way in the first place........BEST OF LUCK!

Metropolitantexan

Vince Young is coming home soon!

[sunsets]

If you want some perspective from someone who DOESN'T get catered lunches at the office....

I work at 6431 Fannin, and walked out on Fannin last week to try and grab some lunch. I found that I had to walk past the University intersection to find a take out place - there is a subway, a Chipotle, and a starbucks on that corner. All three of them were absolutely packed - lines out the door. I was pretty surprised there weren't more restaurants further north on Fannin. The only other options I can walk to in a reasonable amount of time are the med center commons and the hospital cafeteria. There's some kind of sandwich place going in across from the northbound memorial hermann/houston zoo red line stop, and that's it.

Plenty of construction right around there, however, so if there's ground level space available soon I think an eatery would do pretty well.

[UrbaNerd]

Yeah. I think the new Memorial Hospital tower (the 30 story one) will have ground level retail.

[WesternGulf]

I think there needs to be a center of retail at each of the light rail stops in the Med Center. Retail works really well there at the Southbound Dryden TMC station and most of the foot traffic comes from mostly only 3 retailers. Subway, Chipotle, and Starbucks. I actually kill time and go to the Chipotle in the TMC rather than downtown because you really can't do that much people watching at the one in downtown. I don't know why but the TMC seems more livelier than downtown.

[Nick_G]

I have been through the area a few times and have to say Fanin is a handsome street and the area actually has a nice city atmosphere especially during working hours. What I can not figure out is where everyone eats. I hoping someone can fill me in.

Looking for places that are near one of the train stops, have a full menu, and are open late enough (and on the weekends) to get a bite after going out in midtown or to a game at Reliant.

[wernicke]

Methodist cafeteria has good food. Everything closes late evenings though so I think you're looking in the wrong spot for after hours.

[Houston19514]

Treviso has a full menu. Open until 10 pm.

http://www.trevisiorestaurant.com/map.html

http://www.texasmedicalcenter.org/root/en/Visiting/Dining/Dining.htm

[Nick_G]

Methodist cafeteria has good food. Everything closes late evenings though so I think you're looking in the wrong spot for after hours.

I got that feeling but it's hard to believe, so many people work there and there are so many medical students in the area.

[Nick_G]

Treviso has a full menu. Open until 10 pm.

http://www.trevisior...nt.com/map.html

http://www.texasmedi...ning/Dining.htm

Thank you for the links, much appreciated. 10 is a little early for eating after going out, but definitely doable for coming back from Reliant. i will check it out.

[kylejack]

The Med Center has largely abominable food. I've searched and searched for a place to eat lunch, but it's just a disastrous lineup.

[Jax]

I work in the med center and I eat at "Go Fish" on the corner of Main and Dryden a lot of days for lunch (decent Bahn Mi and Vietnamese food and mediocre sushi). It's not the best but its okay. There's also a mediocre barbecue place around the corner from there, a mediocre sushi place, a Chipotle, and a Subway. In my opinion the Methodist cafeteria is nothing special, although one day I ate gator there which was kind of cool.

[kylejack]

Oh no, the barbecue place is terrible.

Go Fish is alright. The Chinese place is alright. The Methodist cafeteria probably has the best selection of any of the cafeterias, even if nothing stands out as awesome. Waterfall Cafe is a food court with various places, but nothing too special. TCH has a Chick-Fil-A.

Eating in the Med Center is so depressing that I usually just grab a sandwich from our cafeteria.

Edited February 1, 2012 by kylejack

[Simbha]

Folks, it's basically a huge hospital. What do you expect other than hospital food?

[Nick_G]

Folks, it's basically a huge hospital. What do you expect other than hospital food?

I'm interested because I have unlimited access to one of the garages right on Fannin very close to a train stop and I was thinking it would be a great location to find a restaurant and sober up before getting in the car to complete the trip.

I had hope because of these statistics

"The Texas Medical Center receives 160,000 daily visitors and over six million annual patient visits, including over 18,000 international patients. In 2010, the center employed over 93,500 people, including 20,000 physicians, scientists, researchers and other advanced degree professionals in the life sciences."

So I figured I'd ask.

[mkultra25]

Mickey D's on the first floor of St. Luke's. Never figured that one out unless they're trying to create more business for the Texas Heart Institute.

[kylejack]

Mickey D's on the first floor of St. Luke's. Never figured that one out unless they're trying to create more business for the Texas Heart Institute.

That's actually in Texas Children's. The buildings are connected.

[woolie]

Nothing really good. The banh mi at Go Fish is OK but doesn't compare to Les Givrals or others. I had it for lunch today, in fact. Miller's Cafe has pretty good burgers. Trevisio.

Beyond that it's chains and cafeterias:

Au Bon Pain

Chipotle

Murphy's Deli

[gazhomme]

Take the train and ride over to Bodegas taco joint. Their nachos have to be responsible for more Lipitor prescriptions than any other eatery in the area.

[Houston19514]

Phill's

[Highrise Tower]

Candelari's Pizzeria is awesome. I went there last night and the pizza and beer taps were fantastic! Highly recommend this Italian restaurant located at 2617 W. Holcombe Blvd.

Website:

https://candelaris.com/

[Ross]

3 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

Candelari's Pizzeria is awesome. I went there last night and the pizza and beer taps were fantastic! Highly recommend this Italian restaurant located at 2617 W. Holcombe Blvd.

Website:

https://candelaris.com/

I am still annoyed they closed their Washington Ave location. I am not driving to the new location when I can go to Romano's on West Gray and get what I want.