The restaurant at 807 Taft St. closed Sunday after 6 years in the former Antone’s space — “for deep cleaning,” according to a sign posted on the door — but messages from Scott Tycer’s Kraftsmen Baking make it clear Gravitas’s problems won’t be fixed by a quick bout of scrubbing. According to Eater Houston, the restaurant had been under the management of the Liquid Gold restaurant group since May — while a sale was being negotiated — but the company decided to sell its stake back to Tycer in November. In a statement sent to Culturemap, Kraftsmen blames the closure on “the failure of Liquid Gold Hospitality, under the terms of our Operating Agreement with them, to maintain current payments on our bank note. . . . We have tried to negotiate with the bank, but they are forcing us to close the doors and they are taking our equipment in lieu of payment.”
- Gravitas Closed After Months of Sale Negotiations [Eater Houston]
- Goodbye Gravitas: Former Scott Tycer hotspot suddenly shutters, restaurant cleared out [Culturemap]
- Previously on Swamplot: Negotiating the First Ward for Lawyers
Photo: XenoHumph
Bummer that’s probably 50 yards from my front door, and I did have a couple good experiences there.. How about bringing back antones? Pretty please?
Damn. They had the best bread pudding I have ever had in my life. Great brunch spot.
hell just bring back fox please
There goes the best restaurant in Houston.
Crag,
The owners of Mark’s would like to have a word with you.
Ooh, awkward moment of the year. Four local kids of Houston origin all got together for a taste of the new Ouisie’s, each long fans/regulars of the original. 1.5 hours and a less-than-satisfying meal later, all four people tried to act like they weren’t dissapointed.
Ouisie’s is still in my mount rushmore of local restaurants, but the new concept was no bueno.
Dang. Had just scheduled a meeting with their management for planning a large party. huh.
Crapola, I liked that place :(
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I’m surprised the bank didn’t try (or try harder) to work out a deal with them to get them current. I don’t know how much stuff they were able to take to try to pay off the previous balance but it seems like they’d have been better off working out a deal. However, I’m sure what they got had to be better than the garbage (literally) I normally get when putting a lien on belongings in lieu of payment.
@mek ju: Amen!!!!!
that’s too bad. hoepfully it will reopen as something else–that building is really cool.
i drive by it every night, and it normally seemed somewhat busy looking at the cars out front, even though no one was inside. I think there must have been lots of private parties upstairs.
Yeah, we were big fans of Fox and their chef, Tom Williams. Gravitas was nice, and Stephen Ross did some good things there (for us).
This is all BS, like Balogna Salad, made up by Scott Tycer. Hopefully a correction, or at least a response, will be posted soon in relation to this article.
As the article states itself, Tycer took the restaurant back in November. Therefore, how in the world could it be Liquid Gold’s fault that Tycer didnt keep up with his payments?
A release was signed by Tycer in November stating that ALL of Liquid Gold’s obligations had been met, and releasing them from any future obligations. Once again, how could this be their fault?
This is utter BS and I feel poorly for the bad light it is shining on a group that DID turn that restaurant around from the dumps….
I, obviousy too, enjoyed my time there under the previous managements reign. I AM biased but I also know the facts and none of these statements make sense.
TYCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stephen Ross sent me an e-mail last week as GM of Gravitas, so I’m confused too about who was running the place and who owned it.
Stephen stayed on to help ease the transition back to Tycer – as a gesture of kindness. One that I am sure he regrets….
My friend worked there and she said that the clientele was seriously dying down.
Good-bye best truffled risotto in the world.