Downtown Restaurant And Bar Market

[Urbannizer]

Sapporo Japanese Sushi & Bar coming to 801 Congress 

 

http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Commissions/docs_pdfs/hahc/App_Materials_2018/March/801_Congress_Alt_Sign_APP_materials.pdf

[mollusk]

Well that was fast.  It ought to be an easy approval, since it's a black awning replacing Fusion Taco's orange one.  

 

Let's hope that the service is less weird.

[Triton]

Gotta say, I really enjoy the new Boomtown Coffee location where Honeymoon used to be. I know a lot of people are upset it's less of a bar and more of a casual place to relax, but I have to admit, me and my fiance like it. We pulled open our laptops and got stuff done. Wi-fi strength was great, plus the coffee had to have been among the best I've had in Houston.

 

We have plenty of bars on N Main but we don't have that many late night coffee places (which also happen to serve alcohol). Think this will directly compete with Tout Suite on the East Side but I like this setting a lot more.

[Urbannizer]

Restaurant space added to 5 Houston Center:

 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/transwestern-property/Flyers/482870a8-2947-e811-80f2-0ef75b7c578c.pdf

[kbates2]

On 4/19/2018 at 3:25 PM, Triton said:

Gotta say, I really enjoy the new Boomtown Coffee location where Honeymoon used to be. I know a lot of people are upset it's less of a bar and more of a casual place to relax, but I have to admit, me and my fiance like it. We pulled open our laptops and got stuff done. Wi-fi strength was great, plus the coffee had to have been among the best I've had in Houston.

 

We have plenty of bars on N Main but we don't have that many late night coffee places (which also happen to serve alcohol).

 

It is still solid but Honeymoon was more of a cafe with table service then a bar.  The coffee is the same with the same people making it so that hasn’t changed.  Really it went from a cafe with a bar to a fast casual coffee shop with a bar.

[rechlin]

Sadly the Shops at Houston Center seems to be having a terrible time getting tenants.  Places just keep closing, and nothing is taking their places.  On the flier posted by Urbannizer above, at least 6 of the listed tenants are no longer open, and 5 of those were restaurants (Radio Shack being the only non-restaurant, and I don't count that against the Shops because that's a nationwide issue).  In addition to those most recent vacancies, I can think of 3 other restaurant spaces in the food court that closed in recent years and have still not been replaced.  Building management even temporarily covered up two of the vacant spaces with drywall to make their closures less obvious.

 

Does anyone know why the Shops is having so much trouble keeping tenants?

[Houston19514]

36 minutes ago, rechlin said:

Sadly the Shops at Houston Center seems to be having a terrible time getting tenants.  Places just keep closing, and nothing is taking their places.  On the flier posted by Urbannizer above, at least 6 of the listed tenants are no longer open, and 5 of those were restaurants (Radio Shack being the only non-restaurant, and I don't count that against the Shops because that's a nationwide issue).  In addition to those most recent vacancies, I can think of 3 other restaurant spaces in the food court that closed in recent years and have still not been replaced.  Building management even temporarily covered up two of the vacant spaces with drywall to make their closures less obvious.

 

Does anyone know why the Shops is having so much trouble keeping tenants?

 

It might be related to the recent change of ownership.  I believe they are making plans for substantial changes to the complex, so they may not be renewing leases or seeking new tenants for the time being.

[LBC2HTX]

24 minutes ago, rechlin said:

Sadly the Shops at Houston Center seems to be having a terrible time getting tenants.  Places just keep closing, and nothing is taking their places.  On the flier posted by Urbannizer above, at least 6 of the listed tenants are no longer open, and 5 of those were restaurants (Radio Shack being the only non-restaurant, and I don't count that against the Shops because that's a nationwide issue).  In addition to those most recent vacancies, I can think of 3 other restaurant spaces in the food court that closed in recent years and have still not been replaced.  Building management even temporarily covered up two of the vacant spaces with drywall to make their closures less obvious.

 

Does anyone know why the Shops is having so much trouble keeping tenants?

There are increasing options elsewhere for the weekday lunch crowd that aren't in an outdated mall-style food court next to outdated retailers. "The shops" needs to be gutted and re-purposed into something that will attract more than just the lunch-crowd. Its proximity to DG and the downtown "retail corridor" on Dallas make it a prime location to integrate both and really tie together that portion of downtown. I know there are 3 food/chef halls opening within the year, but a Indoor/Outdoor concept with greenery, food stalls, and a farmers market would do well here. 

[Nole23]

Just my opinion, but the issue I see with the Shops is the design and the average pedestrian has no clue what's inside, similar to the Houston Pavilions/Greenstreet, because it is enclosed. I've lived downtown since 2016 and haven't been inside since I worked on a project nearby back in 2014, but I frequent many restaurants that are open to the street all over downtown as I'm walking by. Pappa Bros Steakhouse is always packed in the evenings and is located in the same building as The Shops, but its at the ground level and open to the street.

 

I LOVE the fact that 5 Houston Center is re-purposing this corner into a nice restaurant and patio. Hopefully this trend continues with buildings downtown as the residential population and other activity increases.

Edited April 24, 2018 by Nole23

[Houston19514]

Further to my earlier post, very interestingly, Brookfield's website for the Shops at Houston Center shows "No Space Available".

[Urbannizer]

14 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

 

It might be related to the recent change of ownership.  I believe they are making plans for substantial changes to the complex, so they may not be renewing leases or seeking new tenants for the time being.

 

That's correct 

 

 

[dbigtex56]

23 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

 

It might be related to the recent change of ownership.  I believe they are making plans for substantial changes to the complex, so they may not be renewing leases or seeking new tenants for the time being.

I feel sorry for the tenants whose leases haven't yet expired. There are few places more depressing than a dying 80's shopping mall, and I doubt that this is what they expected when they signed on to the place.
My ignorance of real estate contracts and economics notwithstanding, I wish the developers could have just torn the Band-Aid off, bought out the leases, shuttered the place, and commenced with the renovations.

[tigereye]

Etro Lounge is leaving Montrose for Downtown. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/168343289321/posts/10156405183734322/

[Nole23]

Treebeards will start serving lunch on Saturday’s now.

 

“NEWS FLASH HOUSTON: Treebeards Market Square is open on Saturdays!! 
Starting May 4th, our doors will be open for all of our Treebeards’ customers and friends from 11:00AM- 2:30PM.“

 

Facebook Link:

 

Edited April 30, 2019 by Nole23

[j_cuevas713]

20 hours ago, Nole23 said:

Treebeards will start serving lunch on Saturday’s now.

 

“NEWS FLASH HOUSTON: Treebeards Market Square is open on Saturdays!! 
Starting May 4th, our doors will be open for all of our Treebeards’ customers and friends from 11:00AM- 2:30PM.“

 

Facebook Link:

 

You know downtown is getting busy when Treebeards opens on Saturdays

[H-Town Man]

11 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

You know downtown is getting busy when Treebeards opens on Saturdays

 

Good news. Next they can really split the atom and open up at night.

 

[j_cuevas713]

1 minute ago, H-Town Man said:

 

Good news. Next they can really split the atom and open up at night.

 

Or maybe even Sundays 😂

[Nate99]

I'm seeing Shake Shack's arrival as the tipping point.  It's something of a draw in it's own right but still necessitates a critical mass of foot traffic. 

[CaptainJilliams]

6 minutes ago, Nate99 said:

I'm seeing Shake Shack's arrival as the tipping point.  It's something of a draw in it's own right but still necessitates a critical mass of foot traffic. 

 

I completely forgot they were coming downtown, that's a huge improvement over whatever is currently at the location.

[Nate99]

16 minutes ago, CaptainJilliams said:

 

I completely forgot they were coming downtown, that's a huge improvement over whatever is currently at the location.

 

It was a Brown Bag Deli, which isn't bad, but is strictly a lunch for office drones like nate99 type of a place, they moved to underneath 919 Milam, over by Becks Prime. 

 

A 7 day/week, open nights and weekends type popular franchise/concept displacing the five day, three-hour spot on Main is what the city needs more of. 

[kbates2]

17 minutes ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

 

Shake Shack is in downtown already inside Minute Maid Park.

The one on Main will be their second downtown Houston location, but will be a stand alone restaurant that's open to the public and not attendees of Minute Maid Park.

 

Clearly doesn't count.

[Texasota]

Yeah but that's not really "Downtown." It's inside Minute Maid Field explicitly for people attending an event there. It *is* a Shake Shack in Houston, but it's not actually generally accessible to people living and working Downtown.

[cspwal]

2 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

It does count when Shake Shack lists Minute Maid as one of their Houston locations. Also counts when news website include Shake Shack Minute Maid into the total count of locations in Houston. 

Torchy's Tacos advertises their Minute Maid location as their downtown location

[Texasota]

It's not hard to comprehend, but it's also not hard to comprehend that whether or not a business is generally open to the public is a meaningful distinction. Yes, this location is physically downtown, but it is entirely irrelevant to the actual Downtown restaurant and bar scene. 

[skwatra]

https://torchystacos.com/locations/

MMP is not listed.

 

When I'm downtown looking for a meal, buying an astros ticket isn't on my list.

 

anyways, i hope Shake Shack is open 7 days a week late in to the night.

[skwatra]

Yes, i read the discussion. the fact you keep pointing out is not relevant to the intent of this thread.

i'm looking forward to having an accessible shake shake downtown.

[Texasota]

This is pedantry at its most obnoxious. This is not my favorite side of you Crockpot.

Edited May 2, 2019 by Texasota

[Texasota]

10 minutes ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

It must be hard to comprehend. Because clearly this will be Shake Shack's second downtown Houston location. A fact you continue to want to ignore and them have the balls to say Minute Maid Park is not downtown as to make your point as fact.


 

 

What I actually said: "Yes, this location is physically downtown, but it is entirely irrelevant to the actual Downtown restaurant and bar scene."

 

I know this is the internet, but I really hope this isn't how you talk to people in real life. This is bizarrely rude and over the top for what should be a relatively mild disagreement. 

[thedistrict84]

@CrockpotandGravel, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we greatly appreciate your contributions to this site, and I’m grateful for the information that you’re able to hunt down out of some far-flung places.

 

But dude . . . you need to relax a bit. I’ve seen so many recent posts of yours where you get bent out of shape about the smallest of things. Just let it go! 

[Naviguessor]

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