The Heights Restaurant And Bar Scene - More Coming

[IntheKnowHouston]

Photo of Triola's at 4606 N Main St from Facebook

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

[NB_Brendan]

2 minutes ago, hindesky said:

Oooo a yoyo's brick and mortar store! Very exciting. 

[hindesky]

35 minutes ago, NB_Brendan said:

Oooo a yoyo's brick and mortar store! Very exciting. 

They also started using a food truck at Rice University on the northern part of the campus for parts of the week and late night since they got kicked out of Rice Village.

 

[NB_Brendan]

2 minutes ago, hindesky said:

They also started using a food truck at Rice University on the northern part of the campus for parts of the week and late night since they got kicked out of Rice Village.

 

Great to hear! Still the only hotdog I will eat. Usually in the wee hours of the morning somewhere in midtown, but they really are amazing dogs. 

[IntheKnowHouston]

Triola's / Triola's Kitchen opened last month, I think. The restaurant is located at 4606 N Main St.

Below are photos of Triola's shared on Facebook.







 

[s3mh]

On 4/18/2022 at 9:43 AM, s3mh said:

Nearly four years in the making, Simply Coffie looks to be close to finishing construction and may open sometime soon.   

 

https://www.facebook.com/SimplyCoffie/

http://swamplot.com/new-heights-homeowner-wants-to-squeeze-simply-coffie-parking-and-driveway-fixings-onto-24th-st/2018-07-30/

Make that five years.  Simply Coffie has finally opened.  Looks like they just have some pastries plus coffee service.  Haven't been yet.  They are in their soft opening right now and seem like they are getting mobbed (which is good).  

This business wins the never say die award for being able to hang on through everything to finally get their business open.  Strangely, it may have been fate that they were not able to open in 2018-19 as they would have been crushed by the pandemic.  And now, there are probably an additional 5,000 residents in the Heights compared to 2018 due to all the multifamily construction.  

https://www.instagram.com/SimplyCoffie/?fbclid=IwAR0JR1SqmfFKL9VzeXODCZW2xMfzJvIwuJe3oel29AscXvUZiwcS3vG-QE0

[IntheKnowHouston]

Grace (aka Grace Pizza & Shakes) is expanding to the Heights area. It's local pizza restaurant from the team behind Italian restaurant Grazia. There is a location in Alvin and another in Pearland.

I don't know where Grace will be located exactly. It's possible the latest location may be located in the Washington Corridor or Garden Oaks / Oak Forest areas (since some refer to those neighborhoods as the Heights). 


https://gracepizzaandshakes.com
 

[IntheKnowHouston]

  

On 7/14/2023 at 10:04 AM, IntheKnowHouston said:

Grace (aka Grace Pizza & Shakes) is expanding to the Heights area. It's local pizza restaurant from the team behind Italian restaurant Grazia. There is a location in Alvin and another in Pearland.

I don't know where Grace will be located exactly. It's possible the latest location may be located in the Washington Corridor or Garden Oaks / Oak Forest areas (since some refer to those neighborhoods as the Heights). 


https://gracepizzaandshakes.com
 

A follow up to Grace's (aka Grace Pizza & Shakes) forthcoming location in the Heights: The restaurant is opening its Heights restaurant at 801 Studewood St. Sonoma, a local wine bar, previously occupied the space.

Grace is a local pizza restaurant from the team behind Italian restaurant Grazia. In addition to pizzas, the restaurant also specializes in over-the-top milkshakes.

[hindesky]

I've seen this club operator posting a lot on IG. It's in the Greater Heights probably on W. 19th St. I'm guessing they have renovated and existing building.

[hindesky]

[august948]

First thought when I saw this thread...

[IntheKnowHouston]

Point Break is a nightlife concept from one of the co-owners of Commonwealth (shuttered restaurant at 4601 Washington Ave), La Roux (4003 Washington Ave), Dahlia (2901 Fannin St), and a few other area clubs. 

I don't know whether Point Break is a beer garden, bar, club, or all three. Those concepts are used interchangeably in multiple Instagram posts pertaining to the forthcoming venue. 

I'm not sure where this is planned. Every post is either geotagged the Heights or mentions the venue will be located in the Heights. But there is no address given in the posts or video. Even Point Break's Instagram offers no address in its bio. However, several posts compare the proposed venue to bars in Shady Acres. So maybe it's opening in Shady Acres? I don't know. 

There are also posts where the owner is looking for investors. All of those posts have little information about the concept and doesn't disclose the location. In some of the posts and videos marketing the venue to potential investors, the owner notes the following:


Our new establishment, Point Break, provides a new investment opportunity.  With a second level, three separate bars, and a 3,500 sq ft patio, the 9,750 sf venue is positioned to be the best in the area. 


Still, in other posts, the owner claims the venue is 10,000 sf.

Point Break also claims it's in the final building stages. But there are no building permits on file indicating any work on a two-story club, bar, lounge, or restaurant that's 9,750 or 10,000 sf in Shady Acres, The Heights, or anywhere nearby.

The only bars or large properties (where a bar is possibly going in) that  I know of in the Shady Acres area are:

• The property at 1400 W 20th St is over 12,000 sf. It was recently sold and then listed for lease. So, Point Break isn't opening there.
   
• And the other large property in the Shady Acres area is Blvd Park. Cle Group owns the property where Blvd Park is currently under construction.

Point Break's Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/pointbreakhouston

Edited November 23, 2023 by IntheKnowHouston

[IntheKnowHouston]

Renderings of Point Break are below. The renderings are from Point Break's Instagram.

Point Break is a new nightlife concept from Up All Nite Entertainment. Although the address for the venue has yet to be announced, it may be located in Shady Acres or elsewhere in the Greater Heights area.

Edited November 23, 2023 by IntheKnowHouston

[NADROJ]

Urban Eats, located at 3414 Washington Ave., has been struggling and made the announcement that they will be closing.

 

 

[s3mh]

Alice Blue is also closing.  Sad to see Claire Smith leave.  She open Shade back when there was almost nothing in the Heights.  Her trailblazing brought in Scott Tycer, Lance Fegen, Ryan Pera and others and set into motion a huge influx of restaurants that continues today.  I just hope the spot stays with a local chef and an original concept.  Starbucks has established a bulkhead on 11th st.  Vigilance is needed in the Heights.

 

https://www.theleadernews.com/community/another-heights-restaurant-bids-farewell-alice-blue-to-close-feb-25-2024/article_b6dd4650-bb97-11ee-8583-2fe26d37cc36.html

[j_cuevas713]

2 hours ago, s3mh said:

Alice Blue is also closing.  Sad to see Claire Smith leave.  She open Shade back when there was almost nothing in the Heights.  Her trailblazing brought in Scott Tycer, Lance Fegen, Ryan Pera and others and set into motion a huge influx of restaurants that continues today.  I just hope the spot stays with a local chef and an original concept.  Starbucks has established a bulkhead on 11th st.  Vigilance is needed in the Heights.

 

https://www.theleadernews.com/community/another-heights-restaurant-bids-farewell-alice-blue-to-close-feb-25-2024/article_b6dd4650-bb97-11ee-8583-2fe26d37cc36.html

Wolf Capital Partners are the issue. They don't give a damn about the neighborhood, just a quick buck

[IntheKnowHouston]

On 1/25/2024 at 12:50 PM, j_cuevas713 said:

Wolf Capital Partners are the issue. They don't give a damn about the neighborhood, just a quick buck

That is your opinion, but it's not true. There are a number of developers who own many properties throughout the Greater Heights. And many are developing their properties that may range from anywhere to minor improvements to a complete overhaul.

I know many people aren't thrilled with Wolf Capital Partners kicking out A 2nd Cup, which lead to the space being divided and leased to two retail chains. And there are some who place blame on Wolf Capital Partners for Andy's Home Cafe moving (though Andy's owned the property its restaurant was located). But Wolf Capital Partners isn't the only developer buying properties in the area and bringing in new tenants.

If you're placing blame on Wolf Capital Partners, where is the blame for Asana Partners? The out-of-state company owns most of the major retail hubs in the Greater Heights, most which were acquired from Radom Capital. So, in that sense, would you also place blame on Radom Capital, Braun Enterprises, and others whose developments (and redevelopments) reshaped the Heights, but eventually sold those developments to other developers?
 

[j_cuevas713]

6 hours ago, IntheKnowHouston said:

That is your opinion, but it's not true. There are a number of developers who own many properties throughout the Greater Heights. And many are developing their properties that may range from anywhere to minor improvements to a complete overhaul.

I know many people aren't thrilled with Wolf Capital Partners kicking out A 2nd Cup, which lead to the space being divided and leased to two retail chains. And there are some who place blame on Wolf Capital Partners for Andy's Home Cafe moving (though Andy's owned the property its restaurant was located). But Wolf Capital Partners isn't the only developer buying properties in the area and bringing in new tenants.

If you're placing blame on Wolf Capital Partners, where is the blame for Asana Partners? The out-of-state company owns most of the major retail hubs in the Greater Heights, most which were acquired from Radom Capital. So, in that sense, would you also place blame on Radom Capital, Braun Enterprises, and others whose developments (and redevelopments) reshaped the Heights, but eventually sold those developments to other developers?
 

Those developers to my understanding haven't been complete dick's to existing businesses in the area. Andy's Home Cafe was treated unfairly for no reason other than Wolf Capital Partners felt like they could step all over them. And why didn't WCP try leasing to a local business and not a chain? Nobody is arguing that these other developers haven't helped reshape the Heights, but there are developers that take much more consideration to the neighborhood their affecting than others. Do you work for WCP? 

Edited January 27 by j_cuevas713

[IntheKnowHouston]

15 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

Those developers to my understanding haven't been complete dick's to existing businesses in the area. Andy's Home Cafe was treated unfairly for no reason other than Wolf Capital Partners felt like they could step all over them. And why didn't WCP try leasing to a local business and not a chain? Nobody is arguing that these other developers haven't helped reshape the Heights, but there are developers that take much more consideration to the neighborhood their affecting than others. Do you work for WCP? 

You're right. To your understanding you don't know whether other developers or landlords do right by their tenants or not. There are many things the general public aren't privy to. 

As for treatment to existing businesses in the area, do you mean property owners allowing other businesses to use property that is owned by another party? That seems to be where most of you dislike of Wolf Capital Partners is coming from, which seems to stem from the Chronicle's one-sided news coverage of Andy's Home Cafe no longer having access to a large parking lot. If so, the bottom line is that's business and capitalism. 

And really, I'm not going to go any further than that. I've discussed this in the topic about the property Andy's owns. 

To be clear, my initial comment was to your post which seemed to place blame of Alice Blue's impending closure on Wolf Capital Partners (you quoted SMH's entire post which was mainly about the restaurant's closure - if you were only talking about Starbucks, you should have quoted that part alone). And your post seemed to imply that some, if not many, of the closures and changes in the Greater Heights lay at the feet of Wolf Capital Partners.

In the case of Alice Blue, the restaurant owner decided not to renew her lease. Instead of running a restaurant, the owner wanted to enjoy their life and spend more time with their family.

And it should be noted, Wolf Capital Partners is not the restaurant's landlord, Asana Partners is. And to my previous post, Asana Partners owns a large amount of retail property in the Heights area, mostly acquired from Radom Capital. Based on a few conversations from those renting from Asana Partners, in addition to posts someone affiliated with Collina's shared on social media, the out-of-state developers are viewed as horrible landlords. Whether or not that's true, I can't be certain other than taking those tenants at their word. What I do know is some of the small businesses operating on Asana Partners-owned properties are seeing their rent skyrocket. Some claim they feel they're being pushed out in favor of a chain. If true, it's possible there may be a wave of locally-owned businesses closing in the months or years ahead.   

As for Wolf Capital Partners, it seem you're reaching to paint them as big bad developers who are bringing in retail chains, mainly a Starbucks. And we don't even know if this Starbucks is a franchised location or not. Franchised stores are licensed by people living in the community.

You are aware Wolf Capital Partners is a small local commercial real estate development firm, right? They're not a conglomerate by any means. And you do know they own another retail center on 11th Street, right?

Following the other 11th Street property's acquisition, Wolf Capital Partners leased the spaces to local businesses. In fact, a glance at Wolf Capital Partner's portfolio shows a majority of their tenants are locally owned businesses. Not only that, most of the properties have been rehabbed, which have contributed to the neighborhood's aesthetic. Yes, Bluestone Lane's outpost in the Heights is somewhat of a chain; however, the business was already operating there when Wolf purchased the property. Now, as for the rents, tenant improvements, and other details, that I can't speak to because I don't know anything about it.

Still, it seems to me, from the outside looking in, Wolf is not the big bad wolf some are painting it to be, yourself included.

Retail chains are inevitable, especially in desirable areas like the Greater Heights. And as an area becomes more desirable through additional residential, greenspaces, and businesses moving in, property taxes skyrocket. And with high property taxes, rents can be astronomical.

Many small and local businesses can't afford the astronomical rents in the Greater Heights area (and for that matter, inside the Loop and desirable suburban areas). And many small businesses don't have wealthy investors bankrolling them.  But retail chains can afford the rent. It's why we're seeing an increase in chains and a decrease in local retail. The case can also be made that many people are forgoing shopping or doing other business in person, opting for online services. The same goes for office space rentals. 

I don't know, it just seems there are a lot of factors at play when it comes to the overall commercial landscape in the Heights and inside the Loop. In that regard, maybe it's unfair to place much, if not all, of the blame on one developer because of one property that is being leased to global coffee chain that may or may not be a franchise location.

Edited January 27 by IntheKnowHouston

[j_cuevas713]

5 hours ago, IntheKnowHouston said:

You're right. To your understanding you don't know whether other developers or landlords do right by their tenants or not. There are many things the general public aren't privy to. 

As for treatment to existing businesses in the area, do you mean property owners allowing other businesses to use property that is owned by another party? That seems to be where most of you dislike of Wolf Capital Partners is coming from, which seems to stem from the Chronicle's one-sided news coverage of Andy's Home Cafe no longer having access to a large parking lot. If so, the bottom line is that's business and capitalism. 

And really, I'm not going to go any further than that. I've discussed this in the topic about the property Andy's owns. 

To be clear, my initial comment was to your post which seemed to place blame of Alice Blue's impending closure on Wolf Capital Partners (you quoted SMH's entire post which was mainly about the restaurant's closure - if you were only talking about Starbucks, you should have quoted that part alone). And your post seemed to imply that some, if not many, of the closures and changes in the Greater Heights lay at the feet of Wolf Capital Partners.

In the case of Alice Blue, the restaurant owner decided not to renew her lease. Instead of running a restaurant, the owner wanted to enjoy their life and spend more time with their family.

And it should be noted, Wolf Capital Partners is not the restaurant's landlord, Asana Partners is. And to my previous post, Asana Partners owns a large amount of retail property in the Heights area, mostly acquired from Radom Capital. Based on a few conversations from those renting from Asana Partners, in addition to posts someone affiliated with Collina's shared on social media, the out-of-state developers are viewed as horrible landlords. Whether or not that's true, I can't be certain other than taking those tenants at their word. What I do know is some of the small businesses operating on Asana Partners-owned properties are seeing their rent skyrocket. Some claim they feel they're being pushed out in favor of a chain. If true, it's possible there may be a wave of locally-owned businesses closing in the months or years ahead.   

As for Wolf Capital Partners, it seem you're reaching to paint them as big bad developers who are bringing in retail chains, mainly a Starbucks. And we don't even know if this Starbucks is a franchised location or not. Franchised stores are licensed by people living in the community.

You are aware Wolf Capital Partners is a small local commercial real estate development firm, right? They're not a conglomerate by any means. And you do know they own another retail center on 11th Street, right?

Following the other 11th Street property's acquisition, Wolf Capital Partners leased the spaces to local businesses. In fact, a glance at Wolf Capital Partner's portfolio shows a majority of their tenants are locally owned businesses. Not only that, most of the properties have been rehabbed, which have contributed to the neighborhood's aesthetic. Yes, Bluestone Lane's outpost in the Heights is somewhat of a chain; however, the business was already operating there when Wolf purchased the property. Now, as for the rents, tenant improvements, and other details, that I can't speak to because I don't know anything about it.

Still, it seems to me, from the outside looking in, Wolf is not the big bad wolf some are painting it to be, yourself included.

Retail chains are inevitable, especially in desirable areas like the Greater Heights. And as an area becomes more desirable through additional residential, greenspaces, and businesses moving in, property taxes skyrocket. And with high property taxes, rents can be astronomical.

Many small and local businesses can't afford the astronomical rents in the Greater Heights area (and for that matter, inside the Loop and desirable suburban areas). And many small businesses don't have wealthy investors bankrolling them.  But retail chains can afford the rent. It's why we're seeing an increase in chains and a decrease in local retail. The case can also be made that many people are forgoing shopping or doing other business in person, opting for online services. The same goes for office space rentals. 

I don't know, it just seems there are a lot of factors at play when it comes to the overall commercial landscape in the Heights and inside the Loop. In that regard, maybe it's unfair to place much, if not all, of the blame on one developer because of one property that is being leased to global coffee chain that may or may not be a franchise location.

I completely understand the different variables that drive small business' out of their neighborhoods. I'm also aware of where Wolf Capital Partners is located. Regardless of how small the developer is they had no right not giving Andy's Cafe access to their adjacent section of alleyway just because they now owned the property. This wasn't solely about parking which was also an avoidable situation. I could care less how many small businesses' Wolf Capital Partners has leased to. It only takes one moment of bad business to ruin a reputation, and that goes for any type of business. At the end of the day Wolf Capital cares about their bottom line. So it makes sense why they leased to a chain. Making the excuse of "well small businesses' are just gonna have to leave because they can't afford it anymore" is a dumb argument. That's where community land trusts come in to play. Not sure what your allegiance to WCP's is, just as you listed, there are a ton of other developers who have done a better job considering the community and neighborhood they are building in. Let's also not act like there aren't a ton of developers building shitty strip malls in some of the densest parts of town for a quick buck. 

Edited January 28 by j_cuevas713

[Ross]

14 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

I completely understand the different variables that drive small business' out of their neighborhoods. I'm also aware of where Wolf Capital Partners is located. Regardless of how small the developer is they had no right not giving Andy's Cafe access to their adjacent section of alleyway just because they now owned the property. This wasn't solely about parking which was also an avoidable situation. I could care less how many small businesses' Wolf Capital Partners has leased to. It only takes one moment of bad business to ruin a reputation, and that goes for any type of business. At the end of the day Wolf Capital cares about their bottom line. So it makes sense why they leased to a chain. Making the excuse of "well small businesses' are just gonna have to leave because they can't afford it anymore" is a dumb argument. That's where community land trusts come in to play. Not sure what your allegiance to WCP's is, just as you listed, there are a ton of other developers who have done a better job considering the community and neighborhood they are building in. Let's also not act like there aren't a ton of developers building shitty strip malls in some of the densest parts of town for a quick buck. 

Andy's was a terrible restaurant. We went there once on the recommendation of others and left after 20 minutes of not being seated or even talked to by the staff. The space was dirty and smelled bad. No great loss.

If you don't own your access or parking, you don't control your future.

[s3mh]

They will have big shoes to fill and don't have nearly as good a location, but bagels are coming back to the (greater) Heights.  Brazos Bagel is coming to the odd little strip center at Durham and Larkin just north of the I-10 feeder.  It will be where Nourish and Kalos used to be.  And if you were wondering, Tins at the other end of the strip is a fancy Omakase restaurant.  

 

https://www.brazosbagel.com/

[j_cuevas713]

On 1/28/2024 at 11:17 AM, Ross said:

Andy's was a terrible restaurant. We went there once on the recommendation of others and left after 20 minutes of not being seated or even talked to by the staff. The space was dirty and smelled bad. No great loss.

If you don't own your access or parking, you don't control your future.

That's the most Houston response ever "If you don't own your access or parking, you don't control your future."

[Ross]

2 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

That's the most Houston response ever "If you don't own your access or parking, you don't control your future."

It's not wrong, though, is it?

[hbg.50]

29 minutes ago, Ross said:

It's not wrong, though, is it?

Wolf Capital Partners shafted Andy's for sure.   On the other hand I don't think that is the only reason Andy's shut down (or moved).  They had been in that crappy location forever. 

To my knowledge it was always a "seat yourself" restaurant.  I miss their breakfasts.  That's all I ever ate there.   

The place I REALLY miss is DaCapo's.  It's a DOG bakery now!  🤬

[j_cuevas713]

16 hours ago, Ross said:

It's not wrong, though, is it?

Just because it's true in this city doesn't make it right. You can't have a walkable neighborhood and then at the same time put businesses in a spot where they're almost completely dependent on drivers to supply their business. If you create an environment geared around people, then businesses don't have to worry about how much parking they have because access to their business for all neighborhood users will be evenly spread out. I'm not anti-car or driving but this city forces businesses to depend on car traffic to supply their bottom line. That's why other cities like Chicago and NY can thrive even in the middle of the office market collapsing. I'm not saying they don't have their problems as well but access for everyone, not just drivers, is important.

[Ross]

35 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

Just because it's true in this city doesn't make it right. You can't have a walkable neighborhood and then at the same time put businesses in a spot where they're almost completely dependent on drivers to supply their business. If you create an environment geared around people, then businesses don't have to worry about how much parking they have because access to their business for all neighborhood users will be evenly spread out. I'm not anti-car or driving but this city forces businesses to depend on car traffic to supply their bottom line. That's why other cities like Chicago and NY can thrive even in the middle of the office market collapsing. I'm not saying they don't have their problems as well but access for everyone, not just drivers, is important.

Andy's was in one of the most walkable parts of Houston, and still needed people in cars to succeed. That is not going to change anytime soon, changes will occur incrementally over time.

[IntheKnowHouston]

On 1/27/2024 at 8:38 PM, j_cuevas713 said:

I completely understand the different variables that drive small business' out of their neighborhoods. I'm also aware of where Wolf Capital Partners is located. Regardless of how small the developer is they had no right not giving Andy's Cafe access to their adjacent section of alleyway just because they now owned the property. This wasn't solely about parking which was also an avoidable situation.

I have no ties to Wolf Capital Partners. Also, I don't know anyone involved with Andy's Home Cafe. I'm only looking at this as an outsider, just like everyone else here commenting on this.

To your point, yes, Wolf Capital Partners had every right to deny Andy's Home Cafe access to its parking lot and alleyway. You may not like it because you deem it not neighborly or whatever personal feelings you seem to harbor for the restaurant; however, it doesn't make Wolf Capital Partners any less wrong. It's Wolf Capital Partners' right to refuse to arrange or lease usage of their property to another business if they see fit. That's business. That's capitalism.

As pointed out in the topic for the Andy's Home Cafe property, lots of businesses do more with less; moreover, restaurants and bars. Many businesses in the area have minimal parking spaces too. Guess what? They are able to survive and thrive. Some may have faced other issues Andy's claims to have faced. Guess what? Lots of those businesses made it work for them. And many are still operational in their current spaces.

I'd bet there were other factors at play for Andy's choosing to close its location. The lack of a parking lot and access to the alley likely weren't the only ones.

The biggest thing Andy's had to its advantage is its location. Residents could easily walk or bike there. It was also across from a middle school.

If you go to the topic pertaining to the building and property it was located, I pointed out various ways Andy's could have made it work. Most of the suggestions would have been at a minimal cost to them.

Perhaps one of the driving factors for Andy's choosing to close its longtime location is there are better restaurants to choose from. It may have been good in its heyday or many people didn't have much to choose from, but things change over time. Nowadays there are lots of Tex-Mex and regional Mexican restaurants serving great tasting food. And some have minimal parking too. To compete, some restaurants may work on their menu, business model, or upgrade their space if needed. Others may not have to do much of anything.

At the end of the day, land and insurance is astronomical these days. And as you and I know, this is especially so in the Heights. To solely place blame on Wolf Capital Partners for Andy's Home Cafe choosing to close its longtime location, is, at best, fallacious and short-sighted, in my humble opinion. 

Edited January 31 by IntheKnowHouston