A rep from Edge Realty Partners says that that new retail center that’s now under construction at Westheimer and Dunlavy will have 2 tenants. The primary one, occupying 3,600 sq. ft. of the new building’s proposed 4,800, will be a well-bread pastry cafe from Roy Shvartzapel, the globe-trotting chef profiled recently in Eater Houston. A TABC permit application, filed April 17, suggests that the cafe will be called Leaven & Earth.
And the other tenant? The Edge rep says that names can’t yet be named, but that a lease is all but complete for a “boutique” retail shop that’s already in Montrose to relocate inside the remaining 1,200-sq.-ft. suite that’s depicted in the rendering here as right next to Agora.
- Pastry Chef Roy Shvartzapel Reveals Plan to Bring World-Class Cafe to Montrose [Eater Houston]
- Previously on Swamplot: Dirt and Flour Moved To Create New Place To Drink at Westheimer and Dunlavy, Burned Building Next to Agora on Westheimer Returns — As a Backpack, No, Dunkin’ Donuts Is Not Coming to the Corner of Westheimer and Dunlavy, The Commotion at the Corner of Westheimer and Dunlavy
Images: Edge Realty Partners (rendering); Allyn West (building)
There are some very good bakeries in Houston and Petite Sweets and the Chocolate bar are open late on weekends. But I like the concept and agree that there really isn’t a high end bakery/pastry cafe in Houston. Angela’s Oven, Rebecca Masson, Slow Dough and others do really nice things, but none of them operate a full service cafe. And they have fairly limited offerings. I am excited to see what this guy can do.
They’ll have to work hard to beat Brasil’s carrot cake or their quiet, breezy, jasmine scented back porch. Or maybe they’ll help anchor the corner and bring more business to both stores (plus the cozy Agora). That wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Did that Mediterranean looking place a couple blocks down ever get rented out? Last I remember it was sitting vacant (and that had been going on for, what, a couple years?). Funny how all this new stuff is going up but that other place can’t find a tenant. I’m sure there’s some story behind the that place (besides it looking completely out of character for the neighborhood).
@ Ryan. Exactly
La Guadalupana is a good bakery too.
The people at Space, the shop across the street next to Brazil have said that their lease is ending and they intend to move to this new building.
This project is a harbinger of what that colorful strip of Westheimer will eventually be when the foodies/boutique bohemians will be running things. Interesting that it’s next to Agora, which means now in Portuguese. When I drive down that strip I appreciate the now while it’s still there.
It also means ‘gathering place’ in Greek, which is probably what they were shooting for.
Yeah, it’s a Greek coffeehouse. But I think it’s cool that you could call it Gather/Now.