Jump to content

The Heights Restaurant And Bar Scene - More Coming


shady 75

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, JCR said:

This one at the end of the month.

 

An additional closure is the Taquito Rico on Main and Pecore also at the end of this month.  The building owner has other plans for that lot.  The business owner will have a taco truck in the same area at some point.

Ok so which restaurant is it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, Triton said:

 

Hunky Dory and Bernadine's are owned by a separate entity from Down House and the rest of the currently surviving Treadsack establishments.  They could now convert Hunky Dory and Bernadine's bankruptcy into a Chap 7 from an 11 and lighten their load by a lot.  It is sad because but for the mismanagement these restaurants should have been able to be around for a long time.  At least they leave behind some nice architecture for someone else to make a go at it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Triton said:

 

Hunky Dory and Bernadine's closing!

 

 

Both of these concepts were very much tied to the chefs that created them. Once both of the them left, closing them was probably the right thing to do.

 

Here's hoping someone snaps up these (still pretty nice) 2nd generation restaurant spaces quickly.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/21/2017 at 9:30 AM, s3mh said:

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/06-19-17-ascension-coffee-dallas-heights-waterworks-braun-enterprises/#slide=0

 

Braun looks to be moving fast on the Waterworks project.  I would say that the Heights is approaching coffee house over saturation, but Ascension is more of a full service cafe/wine bar.

 

This was pretty much the concept for Downhouse, which originally opened from 7AM to 2AM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/heights/business/article/Hopdoddy-signs-on-as-tenant-in-Heights-Waterwork-11296852.php?ipid=hpctp

 

I like Hopdoddy . . . . 171 miles away from Houston.  

 

It is really time to see some Houston area talent step up and open some new restaurants in the Heights instead of getting infested with additional locations for Dallas, Austin, Denver and Atlanta restaurant concepts.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, but all the incentives run the other way.

 

In order to open a restaurant, you need a space, a concept, and money. All of these are finite resources. Sometimes the space drives the concept, but more often, the money does. It's a far less risky proposition to invest in a proven concept (or chef, or partnership) than an unproven one, so the incentive for investors is to replicate existing successful concepts.

 

The incentive for the chef/operator is the same. It's a lot higher return on effort to establish recipes, processes, systems, training, etc. once, and then replicate it than it is to create a new concept for every new location. Back-of-house staff work long hours for a long time for not much money, so when they get a chance to provide for themselves and their families by opening 2nd and 3rd and 15th locations of a successful concept, they have every right to take it. Every wish that a chef-driven concept remain a single location with the chef in the kitchen in reality puts a ceiling (and a pretty low one) on that chef's income.

 

While I love new and interesting and unique restaurants, I'm more interested in getting delicious food made from quality ingredients in a pleasant atmosphere at a reasonable price. If that's in the 2nd Bernie's, or the 2nd Cloud 10, or the 2nd Helen, or the 3rd Superica, or the 5th Hopdoddy, or the 17th Snooze, I'm OK with that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Angostura said:

Yes, but all the incentives run the other way.

 

In order to open a restaurant, you need a space, a concept, and money. All of these are finite resources. Sometimes the space drives the concept, but more often, the money does. It's a far less risky proposition to invest in a proven concept (or chef, or partnership) than an unproven one, so the incentive for investors is to replicate existing successful concepts.

 

The incentive for the chef/operator is the same. It's a lot higher return on effort to establish recipes, processes, systems, training, etc. once, and then replicate it than it is to create a new concept for every new location. Back-of-house staff work long hours for a long time for not much money, so when they get a chance to provide for themselves and their families by opening 2nd and 3rd and 15th locations of a successful concept, they have every right to take it. Every wish that a chef-driven concept remain a single location with the chef in the kitchen in reality puts a ceiling (and a pretty low one) on that chef's income.

 

While I love new and interesting and unique restaurants, I'm more interested in getting delicious food made from quality ingredients in a pleasant atmosphere at a reasonable price. If that's in the 2nd Bernie's, or the 2nd Cloud 10, or the 2nd Helen, or the 3rd Superica, or the 5th Hopdoddy, or the 17th Snooze, I'm OK with that.

 

There are plenty of chefs in Houston who can get the backing to do a new concept in the Heights, even with the steep rise in rents.  There are a few in the pipeline.  But the commercial leasing agents have a big bias for chains and restaurant groups.  

 

My problem with getting the 2nd, 3rd, 5th etc. location is that quality is always compromised when an additional location is added.  The 15th Torchy's is a distant relative to the original food truck in Austin.  Bakery Lorraine in San Antonio was my favorite spot for breakfast when I was out there for work.  But they opened a second location and have seriously dumbed down their menu to help them mass produce.  

 

And then there is just the benefit of having a restaurant scene that is doing something new and interesting instead of just making existing restaurants more convenient.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/19/2017 at 10:19 AM, s3mh said:

 

There are plenty of chefs in Houston who can get the backing to do a new concept in the Heights, even with the steep rise in rents.  There are a few in the pipeline.  But the commercial leasing agents have a big bias for chains and restaurant groups.  

 

My problem with getting the 2nd, 3rd, 5th etc. location is that quality is always compromised when an additional location is added.  The 15th Torchy's is a distant relative to the original food truck in Austin.  Bakery Lorraine in San Antonio was my favorite spot for breakfast when I was out there for work.  But they opened a second location and have seriously dumbed down their menu to help them mass produce.  

 

And then there is just the benefit of having a restaurant scene that is doing something new and interesting instead of just making existing restaurants more convenient.  

 

Yeah, why can't Houston chefs like Ryan Hildebrand, Mike Tran, Kent Dormas, David Colby, Justin Yu bring new concepts to the Heights?

Edited by Houston19514
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its becoming more and more difficult for one off concepts due to the investments needed to open.  Rent has escalated at an astonishing rate over the last 2 years.  Just 2 years ago you could get into a space at around $25 - $29 sq ft.  Today those same spaces are now at $50 - $70 sq ft and that's the gross rent not including the NNN's.  The larger restaurant groups/chains that have scale have also contributed to the rise in rent rates.  This is why you're for the most part only seeing restaurants from out of the city i.e hopdoddy, shake shack, etc.  These are huge players with deep deep pockets.  If you look around you'll find smaller local restaurants struggling to keep pace with rent and labor increases.  A lot of these restaurants arent advertised as struggling publicly but many are up for sale or attempting to have their spaces subleased out.  

 

Today's restaurant landscape is a day and night comparison from only a couple of years ago.  Expect food prices to keep going up to combat the cost of doing business.  Its a perfect storm;  buyer habits have changed, cheaper groceries, a down economy combined with what I say is an over saturation of restaurants. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...

The Sitter Group behind King's Bierhaus is bringing another concept to the Heights area. They are planning to open several outlets of King's Kolache Haus. One is slated for the Heights area, but I don't know the exact location.

 

I would be interested in a kolache shop from Revival Market. I don't see that happening any time soon, however with their upcoming concepts in East Village on the boards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

 

The Sunny Food Store was the first off-premise beer/wine licensee in the formerly dry Heights, but the first new establishment to open with an off-premise license if finally set to open: Italian-America Grocery Store, next to Gelazzi.

 

TABC permits were issued all the way back in April of last year. Congrats to owners on the opening.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, s3mh said:

https://houston.eater.com/2018/1/23/16924532/ripe-cuisine-food-truck-permanent-location

 

My vegetarian wife will go nuts for this.  I guess this is needed to balance out the food karma of Hugs and Donuts, Pinkerton, Lee's Fried Chicken and other belly busting delights in the neighborhood.

 

Hopdoddy will be just across the patio. ;)

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Richard Knight is taking over Harold's in the Heights.  I liked Chef Ware, but thought that he was phoning it in the past year or two.  The menu was a bit watered down (no Beaufort stew) and a little like a high end Luby's.  Richard Knight is the best and deserves a good break after the clowns running Treadsack submarined Hunky Dory.

 

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/03-01-18-harolds-heights-new-chef-richard-knight-feast-hunky-dory-alli-jarrett/#slide=0

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
12 hours ago, flatline said:

Whoa.  Had seemed to be turning over tables okay the times that I've been in them recently.  Might be some macro issues going on at the corporate level:  

http://swamplot.com/pi-pizza-starfish-lease-lockouts-hit-both-ends-of-the-heights-blvd-strip-by-the-bayou/2018-08-02/

 

 

Lee Ellis left Cherry Pie Hospitality (the group that owns both places) a few months ago. And Anthony Calleo, the guy who started the Pi Pizza food truck, left the brick and mortar version in January. I suspect other things are going on behind the scenes at Cherry Pie that we haven't heard about yet.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, s3mh said:

https://houston.eater.com/2018/8/2/17645690/pi-pizza-and-star-fish-reopen

 

The old banking snafu.  I wonder whether transitioning Ellis and others out of the business is why the build out of Lee's Creamery on 19th and Rutland basically stopped in its tracks after being substantially built out.

Spoke to soon.  Sign is up in the window for Sweet Bribery.  It will have ice cream, baked goods and boozy treats.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Looks like Republic Diner (1221 W.11th Street, formerly Witchcraft) is out, and Blackbird Izakaya is in.  https://houston.eater.com/2018/7/2/17524754/blackbird-izakaya-replacing-republic-diner-noodle-bar-heights

 

I had to google it, but an izakaya is an informal Japanese pub.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izakaya.  Well I learned something today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's too bad about DaCapo's - they made our wedding cake <mumble> years ago. But, like Hickory Hollow, at least they are the ones making the decision and going out on their own terms, rather than having their hand forced by someone else. Hard to begrudge someone a well-deserved retirement after a long and successful run in business. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 7/18/2018 at 2:25 PM, s3mh said:

https://www.chron.com/entertainment/restaurants-bars/article/Southern-Goods-will-not-reopen-in-the-Heights-13085559.php

 

Southern Goods has officially called it quits.  I was really hoping they could rebuild.  

https://houston.eater.com/2018/10/12/17966538/bobby-heugel-justin-yu-new-bar-southern-goods-space-rumor

 

Some detective work by eater points to Heugel and Yu plotting something for the Southern Goods space.  I am not sure why eater is so sure that it will be a bar.  I would think it would be more along the lines of a gastropub like BLT or even a restaurant give that the space is set up with space for a kitchen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 10/26/2018 at 7:36 AM, CrockpotandGravel said:



Because Bobby Heugel told one of the local news sites his attention is on bars only. That's partly the reason for the amicable split between he and a his partner Kevin Floyd. Floyd wanted to open restaurants with Chris Shepherd, not only bars.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/11-19-18-new-heights-restaurant-bobby-heugel-justin-yu-southern-goods-19th-street/

 

It will be a restaurant.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Mastrantos is having its soft opening and is currently serving breakfast for fans of arepas.

 

Kolache Shoppe will open in the next few days.  Looks like they are doing dress rehearsals right now.

 

La Grande Rue has signs of life with a holiday box offering, but no sign of an opening yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • The title was changed to The Heights Restaurant And Bar Scene - More Coming

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...