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12 hours ago, saveferris said:

Tough crowd. The place is exactly what it tries to be, a lower (legacy) priced old school tex mex option in a neighborhood that has gentrified to the max. I personally like it being there as a one of very few standing relics of the actual neighborhood this used to be, and oh my stars I like the food as well.  If we try soooo hard to keep the homes historic why do we throw shade on the businesses that try to keep it old school as well. 
 

Ps- stop posting aerial drone pics of things being built. Nobody cares. The places will be done when they are done. 

Keeping it old school isn't the issue.  In fact, keeping it old school can very much be a big benefit.  Just look at Taqueria Laredo.  If they upgraded everything and had chef driven tacos with tofu or chicken tikka masala, they would be out of business within a few months.  The problem with Andy's is that it isn't nearly as good as Teo, Chilosos, Peubla's etc. (nor is it that cheap) and even though they have a huge advantage owning their premises while everyone else gets beaten up and driven out by skyrocketing rents, they are playing like they are the victim of some greedy developer.  But they have actually just been freeloading off the neighboring property for parking and alley access for a few decades.  And the conniptions about parking aren't really based on any great imposition on their business that is unique to the Heights.  if you go to just about any of the popular restaurants in the Heights (Coltivare, Loro, Hando,  Field and Tides, etc.), you will more than likely on a busy night have to park your car a block or two away and (heaven forbid) walk .12 miles to get to the restaurant.  There is plenty of on street parking behind Andy's.  And that is one of the most old school things about the Heights.  We do not have a bunch of strip malls with giant parking lots.  We have retail nestled right in our neighborhood and people are happy to park a block or two away to get to where they are going for dinner.  

Not to pile on, but it is not hard for a good old school Tex-Mex restaurant to thrive in the Heights.  Teo, Chilosos, Puebla's, Hacienda, etc. all do great business serving the same Tex-Mex as Andy's (and probably pay a lot more in rent).  

6 minutes ago, mkultra25 said:

Perhaps the hot chicken bubble is about to burst.

Don't count your hot chicken sandwiches . . . 

It only took a decade or two, but it looks like Houston developers have finally realized that ground floor (and second floor) retail is a good idea.  

19 hours ago, steve1363 said:

Their baked goods are pretty good but they get an “F” for friendliness.  I stopped going to the one on Studewood…not worth the hassle of parking nearby.  

Been going there since it opened.  Couldn't disagree more.  Folks working the counter are always great.  Only complaint is that the cake slices sell out too soon.  

This is a good result.  There were murmurs about the PGA dumping the Houston Open in order to make way for a series of big money events in the fall intended to compete with LIV.  And two weeks before the Masters will mean that a lot of the top players will show up in order to fine tune for the Masters.  

The Woodlands is hosting the Chevron LPGA Championship and the Insperity Invitational for the senior tour the third and fourth weekends in April.  That is pretty good for a city that is not a resort area like spots in FL, CA, AZ, etc.  

4 hours ago, IntheKnowHouston said:

Since Andy's faces parking scarcity, I wonder if the restaurant has formulated a plan to encourage walking or cycling? I think with their location, it could be to their benefit.

Andy's positioned in a neighborhood where there are lots of residences in close proximity to the restaurant.  It's close enough for people to walk there. The business is also across from a school. Those factors are a big boost to any business, especially a place to eat.

The restaurant could increase traffic without the need for parking by offering after school specials. Kids usually are hungry after school ends. Perhaps adding specials or to-go items that are easy to eat while walking home could bring in new or repeat customers. Maybe investing in building a walk-up counter would help. A walk-up counter would also be useful for neighbors who may want to walk there to order something quick.

I'm not well-versed when it comes to parking requirements and fire codes, but maybe once a month or so, the few parking spaces on their property can be converted into a temporary patio. Andy's could host community events during the day on weekend. It could be another way to encourage neighbors to walk there and dine on the patio. 

Also, implementing something like a discount on certain day for Heights residents or residents in the Norhill neighborhood can be a boost. And a bigger discount for walking or cycling there. Even something like free chips & salsa or something similar for neighbors only.

Some may argue Andy's issue is the food itself. If that's the case, maybe they can revamp some things that aren't working. I don't know.

I think there are ways Andy's could work their recent parking shortage to their advantage. 

Another interesting concept is that people can park on the residential street a block away and walk to the restaurant.  

Not sure what is new here.  Property has been for lease since 2018 with Heins as the offering broker.  

18 hours ago, mkultra25 said:

There's no landlord, Andy's owns the property they're operating out of. The chron.com article linked upthread mentions that Wolf Capital offered to buy them out for $600,000, which they obviously declined. 

So, then Andy's is obviously grandfathered on parking minimums, which is a huge benefit and advantage in a neighborhood with very high property values and very little room for off street parking.  To then expect other property owners to allow your customers to park on their property is just wrong, even if the space is empty.  Andy's has been freeloading off their neighbors and has no right to complain when they got cut off.

3 hours ago, BigRed said:

Yeah I get it but if your neighbor moves out and has their home on the market you don't get to take over their driveway while they are selling it.

It's more of an optics thing and its easy to go after the big bad developer. At least that's my take after reading the article.

It is a bit of a dick move by the developer.  But it is probably coming more from a place of trying to make sure that potential tenants do not drive by the property and think that there will be a problem with parking due to overflow from Andy's than trying to put Andy's out of business.  If the landlord wants Andy's out, they will jack the rent just like they have been doing all over the Heights.

Strange race shaping up with the two frontrunners basically using the job as a retirement plan.  Whitmire and Jackson Lee are both 73.  They would be 80 by the end of a second term.  

Whitmire is clearly the establishment/centrist candidate and will get piles of cash from the developers and energy execs.  SJL has a very dedicated constituency but is hugely polarizing outside of her district.  I guess she would position herself as the more progressive candidate that stands with the parts of town that don't see all the development.  

I would not count out Amanda Edwards.  She could be the more progressive candidate and get the Lina Hidalgo voters.  

I will be the first one to throw stones at real estate developers, but anyone running a restaurant knows that parking spaces are always going to be part of your lease.  If your customers are using spaces that are not on your lease, you really can't make a stink when your luck runs out.  

I thought that due to rising interest rates, this year would see appraisals take a breather.  Ha!!!  My 6,600 sq ft lot value went from 495k to 594k.  This is the biggest increase I can remember since I bought in 2000.  Looks like improvement values went up about 12%.  The land value is now higher than my 2022 appraised value meaning that the best I will be able to do at a protest is get about $20k net off the appraised value after taking into account the cap.  Of course this is probably HCAD just throwing everything they've got at appraisals in anticipation of some legislation from Austin this year.  But man.  This was a huge increase.  

For fans of the late Throughgood Coffee, the Soul Taco food truck that used to be at Throughgood is the same Soul Taco that is opening a brick and mortar location in this development.  It will be nice to have them back when they finish building out.

On 3/20/2023 at 7:27 PM, Ross said:

Is there anything in there on death rays to take out the owners of unleashed dogs? No use improving the baseball field if stupid morons with unleashed dogs continue to allow them to run all over. That was one place where one of the teams my kid was on had dogs come up and grab baseballs. We didn't think that was nearly as cute as the owners did. 

I was at the park once and a pretty bad dog fight broke out between a leashed dog and a dog roaming free.  Same problem with unleashed dogs at Lawrence park (which should also be on the list for improvements).  

Landlords are killing the Heights.  Tea Sip on 19th is closing because of rent increases.  Same for Hugs and Donuts.  Unless an independent business is backed by some big bucks and is going to do massive business like Squable, etc., it is pretty much a given than only chains will be able to afford commercial restaurant/retail space in the Heights.  Best evidence of that is the renovated shops on the south side of 19th next to Boomtown and the cigar store.  Their big tenant is HR Block.  

On 3/4/2023 at 8:55 PM, JCR said:

If it was so prone to flooding, they would not have put a small cemetery there. 🙄

 

 

That lot is over a half mile from the bayou and is about as far west as you can go and still be in Timbergrove.  And if you look on google earth, This lot is right about where cleared land transitions to wooded undeveloped land.  So, this cemetery shows that people about a century ago knew quite well how close they could get to the bayou without risking flooding.  

So, within about a mile of each other, there will be Ride Indoor Cycling and Ryde Indoor Cycling.  I am not an expert on trademark law and do not know anything about whether these businesses have taken steps to assert their intellectual property rights to their business names, but it would be pretty crazy if both businesses just decided to just go with the flow and not bother with it.  Hypothetically, if this trend continued, you could have someone open up another indoor cycling studio called Rīd Indoor Cycling and then Ryed Indoor Cycling (which could also sell rye bread) and Righed Indoor Cycling.  

1 hour ago, Amlaham said:

I actually like this project, but don't quite understand why the district can't work together and solve the parking issue another way? It would be cool if the district/city bought a lot nearby and created a parking garage that would serve the area. Maybe even with retail on the bottom. Is that not common?

You would never be able to get a project like that through city council.  There are too many councilmembers who have a long list of basic needs for their districts to get them to vote to buy expensive real estate in the Heights to build a parking garage for rich people to go to a boutique hotel.  It would be DOA.

The only alternative would be a management district.  There are several management districts in Houston.  They can build parking facilities among a bunch of other things.  I really doubt anyone would be willing to take on a management district in the Heights after the Montrose management district went down in flames.  They seem to only work well when there are a bunch of big developments involved, like Memorial City, Energy Corridor, Westchase, etc.  Heights is probably too dispersed commercially to make a management district work.  

I joked in a post above about someone building an automated parking garage like the one proposed for White Oak and Studewood.  But it would actually be a good business move for the landlord who own the real estate along 19th to do a deal with one of those vendors to expand parking so there can be more restaurants and bars in 19th.  Tea Sip is closing because the rent is too high.  If there were additional parking, you could fill that space with a big restaurant.  You could also build out the blank spot where the junk dealer used to be with restaurant space.  And within a few years, 19th street would totally suck, but people would make lots of money.  So, in my opinion, anyone who is moving around tens of millions to build a boutique hotel in a major city is a big boy and needs to be responsible for sufficient parking.  

3 hours ago, swishafisha said:

https://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/best-regards-new-bar-lounge-heights-morgan-hansen/

A prime Heights space will soon be home to a new bar and lounge. Best Regards will open this spring in the former Chivos space at 222 W. 11th St.

Founded by commercial real estate veteran Morgan Hansen, Best Regards will serve people looking for an upscale bar and lounge. Patrons of Best Regards will dine on shareable plates, sip cocktails, and enjoy music by DJs and other performers.

“I’m very excited to bring a new, elevated bar experience to the Heights and deliver premium cocktails in a beautifully designed space,” Hansen said in a statement. “Mixed with a rotating roster of international DJs, live music, and an international tapas menu that transitions from brunch to late night, our social lounge will be a must visit Houston destination. 

The bar’s design will be anchored by a central bar. Inside, patrons will find “intimate seating vignettes built for conversation,” according to a release. A covered patio will give the outdoor seating all-weather utility.

In addition to an extensive selection of cocktails, beverage options will include wine, champagne, and non-alcoholic drinks. Food options will consist of shareable, snackable plates such as charcuterie, bruschetta, and other Mediterranean-inspired, tapas-style dishes. Brunch will be served on the weekends.

“We’re working with a team of top-notch Houston nightlife veterans and will deliver an energetic all-day experience like no other found in Houston,” Hansen added. “We are very excited to showcase the team’s hard work and bring an electric energy to this prolific intersection of the Heights.”

Best Regards will join a thriving group of restaurants and bars on 11th Street. It will be located near establishments such as Eight Row Flint, Trattoria Sofia, Loro, and Dish Society. The Heights is home to a number of popular bars, including Heights Bier Garten, Johnny’s Gold Brick, Lei Low, and Permission Whiskey & Service Co.
 

What about the Heights lead these folks to believe that this is what was needed for this space?  Do they know that as soon as they crank up any live music or DJ they are going to get multiple nightly noise complaints and eventually get sued by neighbors for nuisance?  Do they know that as hard as they are going to try to make this the premiere night spot for all the pretty people in Houston, locating it in the Heights means they will get everyone from boomers to people with little kids in tow?  And even if they succeed in keeping the boomers and babies at bay, they will just end up with the same post-college crowd like in Shady Acres who just get cheap drinks and hang out for hours and hours.  

Soul Taco may not be joining them.  Soul Taco is opening a brick and mortar location at 1102 Pinemont.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn0Z_UOA9LQ/?hl=en

Looks like it sold recently.  A crew was doing a pretty thorough interior demo this morning.  No idea what is going in, but would assume they are keeping the structure in place to take advantage of the setbacks (or lack thereof).

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/3400-White-Oak-Dr-Houston-TX/26494761/

17 hours ago, emmanume said:

I strongly believe we need more fast casual options that will get more daily patronage from locals than these places that sell $39 entrees. I really hope that not everything needs to be elevated just to pay rent.  For example, why don’t we have a poké place or any Colombian food? A place like Mi Pueblito would kill it out here 

Funny thing is that Dish Society is pretty empty for dinner compared to when it first opened.  Food is good and it is counter service with really good mixed drinks and wine.  Not cheap, but relatively affordable for an easy weeknight meal.  

12 minutes ago, TacoDog said:

But how was it supposed to work?

I would guess that there is a stipulation in the will that requires the family to keep the house and has some penalty for selling (money gets donated to local animal shelter).  

45 minutes ago, BigRed said:

So I am a little torn - I don't think either of the tex-mex concepts in this location were every especially great. A couple good standout items at each but I don't have a ton of love loss. That said, as an Allston St resident I am very excited that this clutch location is getting a new tenant fairly quickly. Hoping its home to great food, drinks and staff. The heights really is loyal to consistently good businesses.

Calle Onze was really good in its first year.  I brought big time out of town foodie guest who had traveled extensively in Mexico to Calle Onze and they would not shut up about how good it was.  But then the restaurant seemed to change direction and started chasing the Midtown club/instagram influencer crowd.  Chivas was really expensive.  It followed a similar trajectory and was pretty good when it debuted, but quality did not hold up and the focus seemed to instead be on having more of a midtown atmosphere with pretty people.  

I think it is pretty tough to maintain a really good restaurant in a market like the Heights now.  Rents are out of control.  It is really hard to staff up.  You have to compete with places like Squable, Trattoria Sofia, Coltivare and new comers like Dinnette and Da Gama.  If you are not able to pack it in Thursday through Sunday and get pretty close to full midweek, you are not going to last long in the Heights.