Nothing new this time; Swamplot’s latest Openings and Closings report is just a list of old places going away:
- Going: There’s nobody home at Washington Ave. coffeehouse The Daily Grind, reports Jason Bargas at Houstonist:
A peek through a window facing the parking lot yielded a dining area devoid of tables. The cash register was no longer on the corner of the bar yet a ceiling fan twirled overhead. An industrial looking extension cord hung from the rafters perhaps indicating an intention to use power tools. But, no signs or bulletins indicated a remodel in progress nor a closing of the business.
Signs or no, the restaurant’s most recent spate of online publicity renders a closing less than surprising. One comment on the Houstonist post notes a rumor that the coffeehouse will be reopening “next to Rudyard’s.”
- Going: A poster on HAIF notes that the On the Border restaurant on the feeder road of the Northwest Freeway in Cypress appears to be toast: “Lights out, nobody home.”
- Gone: And there will be no more Frock shopping: The Frock Boutique on Greenbriar near Westheimer closed late last year, but owner Marianne Mayeux says she will come to you.
Got the scoop on other retail openings or closings in your area? Send your tips to Swamplot!
- Is The Daily Grind Still Alive? [Houstonist]
- A Bitter Brew [She Eats]
- On The Border Restaurant closed [HAIF]
- Frock Your Closet
Photo of The Daily Grind: Katharine Shilcutt Gleave
Speaking of the Daily Grind, the owner was a tax evader and was forced to sell the property to help pay it off.
The new purchaser wants to open an upscale eatery. I found this out back around the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. I met the guy that wants to open it as a new restaurant. Don’t where it’s gone from there. I guess the extension cord may mean it’s being worked on.
Of course this was right before all the financial mess came out full boar in October and November.
The owner of the Daily Grind said that the rent was too high so he was moving to the lower level of a bar off of Commonwealth. He said what the rent was, I don’t remember the number, but I remember that it was very high.
We stopped at the On The Border on I-10, just east of Gessner on Saturday a week ago. The waitress told us that location would be closing the following Monday, as well as others around town.
Daily Grind has been mediocore at best the last 3 times I have been. They were always out of something and it took 30 minutes to get a meal. Not sad to see it go, just hope another bar doesnt open in its place.
Another bar/restaurant is what the new owners want to do.
The last breakfast I had at Daily Grind was really good. The coffee was ok, but I’m picky and make my own gourmet coffee and espresso daily, so I usually don’t expect restaurant brews to impress me. I went there the last time probably before turkeyday. Landowners along Washington now know they are sitting on gold and will demand pieces of gold for their property. Washington Ave. really could stand a reasonably priced restaurant since most everything else in the hood is rather pricey, but that’s a a tough nut since the dirt’s so spencive. Over the last 25 yrs I’ve been in business, I’ve had a number of restauranteurs as clients. Often they are difficult to deal with at best. Usually they are interesting personalities, but many times they are dysfunctional. There are some really great people running successful restaurants, but it almost seems like they are the exception, not the rule. You have to appreciate the great amount of time and work that goes into operating a successful restaurant. I’d have opened one years ago if it weren’t so damn much work.
I loved Frock. Sad to see it go!