Byrd's Building At 420 Main St.

[Avossos]

It doesn't say what it proposed.  That building has already been restored and I think right now looks just like it did historically. 

 

Esactly... so I am confused / curious

[IntheKnowHouston]

I haven't been downtown in awhile, so I don't know when Local Foods closed its downtown outpost at 420 Main St. It was closed during the height of the pandemic in 2020 with plans to reopen in 2021, but I don't know if that happened or not.

Moving into Local Foods former ground floor space in the Byrd Building is neo-soul/Southern restaurant Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen / Taste Kitchen + Bar).

I think the restaurant from Don Bowie is relocating from Midtown, 3015 Bagby St (former Sterling House). 

Taste is (or was) being sued by its landlord Amir Ansari for a host of things and was locked out briefly earlier this year, according to documents submitted to Harris County court (Bowie is also being sued by investors of Rare, the steakhouse and lounge on Washington Avenue). The documents also disclosed Bowie's plan to relocate Taste.

 

 

[j_cuevas713]

Nice to see both this building and the Sterne building getting tenants back. 

[IntheKnowHouston]

On 6/24/2022 at 7:28 AM, IntheKnowHouston said:

I haven't been downtown in awhile, so I don't know when Local Foods closed its downtown outpost at 420 Main St. It was closed during the height of the pandemic in 2020 with plans to reopen in 2021, but I don't know if that happened or not.

Moving into Local Foods former ground floor space in the Byrd Building is neo-soul/Southern restaurant Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen / Taste Kitchen + Bar).

I think the restaurant from Don Bowie is relocating from Midtown, 3015 Bagby St (former Sterling House). 

Taste is (or was) being sued by its landlord Amir Ansari for a host of things and was locked out briefly earlier this year, according to documents submitted to Harris County court (Bowie is also being sued by investors of Rare, the steakhouse and lounge on Washington Avenue). The documents also disclosed Bowie's plan to relocate Taste.

Correction:

Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen / Taste Kitchen + Bar) is not relocating from Midtown to downtown.  The restaurant is expanding its brick-and-mortar footprint to downtown. It's opening another location at 420 Main St on the ground floor of the Byrd Building.

There was an announcement about it on Taste's social media Friday:

"Taste Kitchen + Bar is now looking for smiling faces to come and be a part of our team at our new Sugar Land & downtown locations."

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChLLJvkl6Ol/

Edited August 16, 2022 by IntheKnowHouston

[staresatmaps]

Just what Houston needs, another expensive crappy brunch place.

[Texasota]

I just want people to give their businesses real names, especially if they're planning multiple locations. "Taste" is not a name. 

[j_cuevas713]

1 hour ago, staresatmaps said:

Just what Houston needs, another expensive crappy brunch place.

We literally have no affordable restaurants in this city, and very few chain restaurants inside the Loop.

[Nate99]

Downtown needs a Waffle House. It would be a glorious sh_tshow, but I'm pretty sure you could keep it in the black with its own YouTube channel. 

[editor]

1 hour ago, Texasota said:

I just want people to give their businesses real names, especially if they're planning multiple locations. "Taste" is not a name. 

People think too much about being "hip" and impressing others, and too little about how a lack of discoverability affects their ability to stay in business.

It's like back when clever spellings and dropping vowels was the trendy thing to do.  When those businesses started going under, people realized that for many sectors, if you can't be Googled, you might as well not exist.

"Downtown Aquarium" — Discoverable

"Frknspn" — Struggle against a phone's auto-correct, or just go somewhere else?  Easy choice.

"Fork and spoon" — Spent six minutes scrolling through Martha Steward Home and Crate and Barrel to find what you want? Not gonna happen.

Restaurant margins are so slim, every customer is an important customer.  New restaurants don't seem to understand this, and part of why so many go out of business.  There's a lot of naval-gazing. and trying to look and sound important to their friends, family, groupies, and investors. 

For those who enjoy being too clever, fortunately "Texas unemployment" is very Google-able.

[Texasota]

2 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

We literally have no affordable restaurants in this city, and very few chain restaurants inside the Loop.

huh? Houston has gotten more expensive, but almost every restaurant in the city is pretty affordable by national standards.

[staresatmaps]

2 hours ago, Texasota said:

huh? Houston has gotten more expensive, but almost every restaurant in the city is pretty affordable by national standards.

Affordable to me is like $20 or less per person for food, non alcoholic drinks, tax, and tip. Which would completely eliminate Taste Bar + Kitchen and like half the city. You are thinking of "comparable pricing" not "affordable pricing".

[jmitch94]

29 minutes ago, staresatmaps said:

Affordable to me is like $20 or less per person for food, non alcoholic drinks, tax, and tip. Which would completely eliminate Taste Bar + Kitchen and like half the city. You are thinking of "comparable pricing" not "affordable pricing".

There are literally tons of places where you can eat for under $20 a person. They aren’t going to be some hip new concept in a high rent building but there are plenty. 

[staresatmaps]

12 hours ago, jmitch94 said:

There are literally tons of places where you can eat for under $20 a person. They aren’t going to be some hip new concept in a high rent building but there are plenty. 

Tons of places is not the same as almost every restaurant in the city. More like 20% of places inside the loop. Half the food trucks don't even make that standard anymore.

[JBTX]

2 hours ago, staresatmaps said:

More like 20% of places inside the loop. Half the food trucks don't even make that standard anymore.

I'm so confused. Where do you eat? There are plenty of local places (let alone food trucks) where you can feed 2-3 people for $20.

[Texasota]

Yeah, I'm sorry, but this is nonsense. You can absolutely get a meal at (numerically) most places inside the loop for less than $20.

And beyond that - restaurants exist at multiple price points. Some will be more expensive than that, but if they're less expensive than an equivalent restaurant in peer cities, that still makes Houston relatively affordable.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Texasota

[j_cuevas713]

2 hours ago, Texasota said:

Yeah, I'm sorry, but this is nonsense. You can absolutely get a meal at (numerically) most places inside the loop for less than $20.

And beyond that - restaurants exist at multiple price points. Some will be more expensive than that, but if they're less expensive than an equivalent restaurant in peer cities, that still makes Houston relatively affordable.

Getting a meal for less than $20 doesn't mean it's affordable. Most taco trucks in the Loop charge almost $3+ per taco which is insane. And we aren't talking about large tacos. Most restaurants I've been to range from $12 to $15 a plate, that's not affordable for a lot of people. We aren't comparing this to other cities. 

2 hours ago, JBTX said:

I'm so confused. Where do you eat? There are plenty of local places (let alone food trucks) where you can feed 2-3 people for $20.

You're kidding right? One of the most affordable is the well known Tacos Tierra Caliente. You can spend $20 like nothing and still be hungry. I'm not just talking about price but quantity. 

Edited August 17, 2022 by j_cuevas713

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

23 hours ago, Nate99 said:

Downtown needs a Waffle House. 

the W is Waffle House is silent.  :)

[JBTX]

16 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

You're kidding right? One of the most affordable is the well known Tacos Tierra Caliente. You can spend $20 like nothing and still be hungry. I'm not just talking about price but quantity. 

You can get literally 10 tacos at Taconazo for $20. Or a combos with multiple tacos and sides for under $20. Last time I went I was...far from sober, along with 2 friends, and $20 fed us easily.

Or here is one for sit-down restaurants: Candente's "feast" and grill combo options come in at <$20 a head. Sure, they are $36-$114 for the "feast" but they feed 3-6 easily.

The list of other places is long, but I do not feel like derailing this thread further.

[phillip_white]

On 8/15/2022 at 2:11 AM, IntheKnowHouston said:

Correction:

Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen / Taste Kitchen + Bar) is not relocating from Midtown to downtown.  The restaurant is expanding its brick-and-mortar footprint to downtown. It's opening another location at 420 Main St on the ground floor of the Byrd Building.

There was an announcement about it on Taste's social media Friday:

"Taste Kitchen + Bar is now looking for smiling faces to come and be a part of our team at our new Sugar Land & downtown locations."

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChLLJvkl6Ol/

https://abc13.com/taste-restaurant-controversy-chef-don-bowie-houston-midtown-bar-and-kitchen/12158996/?ex_cid=TA_KTRK_FB

Apparently the owner of Taste owes the Texas Comptroller's Office $162,872.14 in unpaid sales tax.

[Ross]

1 hour ago, phillip_white said:

https://abc13.com/taste-restaurant-controversy-chef-don-bowie-houston-midtown-bar-and-kitchen/12158996/?ex_cid=TA_KTRK_FB

Apparently the owner of Taste owes the Texas Comptroller's Office $162,872.14 in unpaid sales tax.

So, the owner of Taste thinks it's OK to steal from the rest of us by not paying his sales taxes receipts to the state. And he steals from his employees by bouncing payroll checks. Sounds like some time in the criminal justice system is in order. As for the former employees, if I were them, I would be standing outside the restaurants, on the public sidewalk, with signs that say "This restaurant is run by a thief who doesn't pay his employees". I really despise people like that.

Sometimes in these cases, someone will start going on about how hard it is to run a small business. BS, if you collect $162k from customers for sales tax, it needs to be paid to the State, not used to pay for your next food delivery.

I would also not be surprised if this guy hasn't remitted the FICA, Medicare, and Federal income tax withholding from employees to the Feds. That's a Federal crime with hard federal time.

Edited August 24, 2022 by Ross

[IntheKnowHouston]

On 6/24/2022 at 7:28 AM, IntheKnowHouston said:

I haven't been downtown in awhile, so I don't know when Local Foods closed its downtown outpost at 420 Main St. It was closed during the height of the pandemic in 2020 with plans to reopen in 2021, but I don't know if that happened or not.

Moving into Local Foods former ground floor space in the Byrd Building is neo-soul/Southern restaurant Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen / Taste Kitchen + Bar).

I think the restaurant from Don Bowie is relocating from Midtown, 3015 Bagby St (former Sterling House). 

Taste is (or was) being sued by its landlord Amir Ansari for a host of things and was locked out briefly earlier this year, according to documents submitted to Harris County court (Bowie is also being sued by investors of Rare, the steakhouse and lounge on Washington Avenue). The documents also disclosed Bowie's plan to relocate Taste.

 

On 8/15/2022 at 2:11 AM, IntheKnowHouston said:

Correction:

Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen / Taste Kitchen + Bar) is not relocating from Midtown to downtown.  The restaurant is expanding its brick-and-mortar footprint to downtown. It's opening another location at 420 Main St on the ground floor of the Byrd Building.

There was an announcement about it on Taste's social media Friday:

"Taste Kitchen + Bar is now looking for smiling faces to come and be a part of our team at our new Sugar Land & downtown locations."

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChLLJvkl6Ol/

 

Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen) may not have plans to expand downtown after all. Instead the restaurant is relocating its Midtown location at 3015 Bagby to 420 Main St.

The restaurant announced the closure of its Midtown location on Instagram this afternoon:

"Our Bagby location is currently closed until further notice due to renovations..."

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch2lpzbOyea/

 

The Instagram posts directs diners to visit their new location at 420 Main St. Taste's new location is Local Foods former home in the Byrd Building downtown. It's expected to open later this week. Signage for Taste, I think, is up at 420 Main (if not, it will be soon, according to sign permits sold last week).

Houston Chronicle reported on the closure this afternoon. The article draws the conclusion that Taste was evicted from its Midtown location due to nonpayment of rent. I don't know if that's entirely accurate since the lawsuit doesn't note Taste being evicted for good.
 

"Taste Bar + Kitchen, 3015 Bagby, announced on Instagram on Monday that it is closed until further notice. Although the social media post said it is closed “due to renovations,” a Harris County court document indicates that owner Don Bowie was evicted by his landlord for nonpayment of rent."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/restaurants-bars/article/Several-high-profile-Houston-restaurants-post-17405915.php

Edited August 30, 2022 by IntheKnowHouston

[mattyt36]

9 hours ago, IntheKnowHouston said:

 

 

Taste (Taste Bar + Kitchen) may not have plans to expand downtown after all. Instead the restaurant is relocating its Midtown location at 3015 Bagby to 420 Main St.

The restaurant announced the closure of its Midtown location on Instagram this afternoon:

"Our Bagby location is currently closed until further notice due to renovations..."

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch2lpzbOyea/

 

The Instagram posts directs diners to visit their new location at 420 Main St. Taste's new location is Local Foods former home in the Byrd Building downtown. It's expected to open later this week. Signage for Taste, I think, is up at 420 Main (if not, it will be soon, according to sign permits sold last week).

Houston Chronicle reported on the closure this afternoon. The article draws the conclusion that Taste was evicted for its Midtown location due to nonpayment of rent. I don't know if that's entirely accurate since the lawsuit doesn't note Taste being evicted for good.
 

"Taste Bar + Kitchen, 3015 Bagby, announced on Instagram on Monday that it is closed until further notice. Although the social media post said it is closed “due to renovations,” a Harris County court document indicates that owner Don Bowie was evicted by his landlord for nonpayment of rent."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/restaurants-bars/article/Several-high-profile-Houston-restaurants-post-17405915.php

 

What a world we live in thanks to social media. They are either closed for renovations or they were evicted. I mean, what an absolute joke. The business is either still feasible, and so feasible that they’re renovating while opening a second location in the process, or they got evicted for not paying the rent. Pretty diametrically opposed outcomes there. I know what I would bet on. 

[IntheKnowHouston]

2 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

What a world we live in thanks to social media. They are either closed for renovations or they were evicted. I mean, what an absolute joke. The business is either still feasible, and so feasible that they’re renovating while opening a second location in the process, or they got evicted for not paying the rent. Pretty diametrically opposed outcomes there. I know what I would bet on. 

Some clarity would be appreciated from Taste and those whose are paid to find and report facts - not copy and paste press releases. The dining portion of Houston Chronicle and its paywall-free site Chron.com don't have the best track record of providing their readers with accurate information (same goes with some of the local news stations). 

Regardless, Taste is relocating to a prominent downtown location. And it's a bigger space. I hope the restaurant is able to make it work there. On the plus side, diners won't have to wait to valet or struggle to find parking (well, at least when there isn't a sporting event or other happenings). Hopefully, people will utilize the light rail to save on parking when dining at Taste.
 

Edited August 30, 2022 by IntheKnowHouston

[IntheKnowHouston]

On 8/29/2022 at 5:37 PM, IntheKnowHouston said:

Signage for Taste, I think, is up at 420 Main (if not, it will be soon, according to sign permits sold last week).

Signage is not up yet for Taste's new home at 420 Main St. But landlord Benjy Levitt provided the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission with a signage plans this summer for approval:

[hindesky]

Can the state put a hold on this till the taxes are paid for the Bagby St location?

[IntheKnowHouston]

Hours before the state seized Taste's Midtown location for unpaid taxes and the court gave Bowie's landlord the green light to evict him, staff removed furniture, kitchenware, and other fixtures from the restaurant. The items were taken in the wee hours of the morning.

KTRK noticed the employees unloading the items later in the day at Taste's new downtown location, 420 Main:

"A post to Instagram said they plan to open a location in downtown Houston at the corner of Main and Prairie later this week. ABC13 stopped by the location on Wednesday and found people unloading equipment, alcohol, chairs, tables, margarita machines, fryers, etc., from a U-Haul that looked similar to the one seen on surveillance earlier in the week."

"According to a search of Houston's database, permits for the [downtown] location with the city are on hold."

https://abc13.com/taste-bar-and-kitchen-bagby-unpaid-taxes-houston-restaurant-closed/12184023/

[IntheKnowHouston]

Taste (Taste Kitchen + Bar, formerly Taste Bar + Kitchen) is readying their new space at 420 Main St. My guess, it's trying to open for Labor Day.

KTRK captured owner/chef Don Bowie on camera at the downtown restaurant. Bowie and staff were  setting up the space. Earlier in the week, permits for the restaurant were placed on hold by the city.

[IntheKnowHouston]

Taste posted an Instagram story an hour ago with their signage on display in front of their restaurant.  Wednesday was included as the text overlay. I'm assuming this means they're opening their doors today at their new location, 420 Main St.

[BigFootsSocks]

What a wild story

[phillip_white]

If their permits are on hold, that means they likely don't have a certificate of occupancy. Looks like reality is about catch up to Chef Bowie.