Tag: Openings and Closings

First Ward
09/09/13 3:15pm

Event Space Almost Ready To Rent at Summer Street Studios

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Houston Heights, Openings and Closings, Renovations, Warehouse Space
7 Comments

Since many of the big-headed attendees here at David Adickes’s former SculpturWorx compound are already dressed in formal wear — well, except for the Beatles — it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for the Vanderbilt, the new event space with the highfalutin name being prepped for an opening later this month. A reader reports that the Vanderbilt has applied for its liquor license, and you can see one of those telltale TABC signs hanging beneath the plywood in the window at the top of the stairs.

Photo: Allyn West

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Fort Bend County
09/09/13 11:00am

Signs of the Sugar Land Chuy’s

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Franchises and Chain Stores, Openings and Closings, Restaurants, Sugar Land, Telfair
11 Comments

That slow-to-develop retail district on the old prison farm in Sugar Land, rehabilitated into The Crossing at Telfair, appears to be locking up a new occupant. This sign, says the reader who snapped the photo, recently popped up behind the Whataburger and the H-E-B on Hwy. 6, just to the north along University Blvd. of the site where that new 6,500-seat performance hall is planned to be built. No opening date for the Austin Tex-Mex chain has been announced, though the Sugar Land Sun reports that the place should be good to go by the end of the year.

Photo: Swamplot inbox

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Bellaire
09/06/13 11:15am

Park That Bus: Bernie’s To Open 3 Non-Mobile Locations

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Katy, Openings and Closings, Proposed Developments, Restaurants
7 Comments

Justin Turner of the cheddar-colored, school-themed burger bus — a frequent visitor to the can-you-hear-me-above-the-generators Houston Food Park in East Downtown — tells Eater Houston that he’s planning to open 3 non-wheeled restaurants in the next 5 years. That’s in addition to the stand he set up at Sections 114 and 115 inside Reliant Stadium to cook patties while the Texans play. Bernie’s will still operate 3 buses to serve close-in ’hoods, but it appears that all the restaurants will be outside the Loop: The first to open, says Turner, will be on Bellaire west of 610, the second in Katy, and the third “another place out in the ‘burbs.”

Photo of Bernie’s Burger Bus at Inversion at 1953 Montrose Blvd: Yelp user Jason T.

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Cinco Ranch
09/04/13 4:30pm

Trader Joe’s Opening New Store Outside Every Loop in Cinco Ranch

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Katy, New Construction, Openings and Closings, Proposed Developments, Retail
15 Comments

Here’s a look at Houston’s next Trader Joe’s, set to open in Cinco Ranch sometime next year. It’ll be at 2643 Commercial Center Blvd., right in the center of all that commerce just west of the Grand Pkwy. This new 12,500-sq.-ft. store will be the 4th in the area. The last to open was the one on San Felipe and Voss in January, across the street from the Randall’s that has since been torn down to make way for a new Whole Foods.

Rendering: Trader Joe’s

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Apartments
09/04/13 11:00am

Rising from the Earthman: The First Ground-Floor Tenant at Gables Tanglewood

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Mixed Use, Openings and Closings, Restaurants, Tanglewood
7 Comments

It appears that some of that hallowed ground-floor retail space in the funeral-home-exorcising Gables Tanglewood will be given over to Dish Society, a casual farm-to-table joint. No opening date has been set; apparently, the restaurant just started looking for an executive chef. The photo above shows the construction progress of the Ziegler Cooper-designed 8-story, 304-unit apartment complex at the corner of San Felipe and Bering.

Photo: Going Up! City

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Medical Buildings
09/04/13 10:00am

Former Houston Rocket Royce White Putting His Name on Mental Health Clinic on W. Bellfort

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Openings and Closings, Public Health, Westbury
7 Comments

Royce White might never have suited up for the Houston Rockets, spending most of his rookie season toiling in the D-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and — umm, tweeting, but it appears he has found a way to contribute to the city. Last week, White — who suffers from generalized anxiety disorder — announced that his foundation, Anxious Mind’s, which he started when he was playing college ball at Iowa State, will partner with Bee Busy Wellness Clinic to open a free mental health facility on W. Bellfort. The clinic will also provide dental services and primary care and will open this January inside the Rubik’s Cube-like former Frank Neighborhood Library at 6440 W. Bellfort, shown here, just west of Westbury and Meyerland. White played in only 16 games last season; he was caught up in disputes with Rockets management about travel arrangements — he hates to fly — and team doctors. In July, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Photo: Allyn West

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Buildouts
08/28/13 3:15pm

Filipino Fast Food Coming to S. Main

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Openings and Closings, Restaurants
10 Comments

A reader sends this photo of the work in progress at the former Blockbuster at 8001 S. Main St., which in September will open as Jollibee Chicken & Burgers, the first Texas location of the largest fast-food chain in the Philippines. It will be located right next door to the Jersey Mike’s there in the crotch of S. Main and O.S.T., just northwest of Reliant Park.

Photo: Swamplot inbox

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Openings and Closings
08/26/13 11:00am

A Restaurant Reno in Upper Kirby

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Restaurants, Upper Kirby
6 Comments

It appears that this former caterer’s at 3030 Audley St. and Sul Ross is being converted into a restaurant. Photos of the building show that permits for the Upper Kirby location on the other side of W. Alabama from Lamar High School have been acquired to rebuild the roof, which, according to info on NuHabitat, was damaged by Hurricane Ike. The name of the new restaurant will be the Audley Street Cafe.

Photos: Swamplot inbox

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North Montrose
08/23/13 2:15pm

Mama Fu’s Making Houston Debut in W. Gray Shopping Center

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Openings and Closings, Restaurants
11 Comments

Another Austin chain is moving inside the Loop: Mama Fu’s Asian House, which appears to pull its menu items indiscriminately from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and Korea, is replacing the former Souper Salad at 1574 W. Gray. About a year ago, franchisee Steve Chappelear — who also owns 8 Buffalo Wild Wings here — said he was planning to open 18 Mama Fu’s in Houston; this would be the first.

Photo: Swamplot inbox

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Memorial City
08/23/13 11:00am

The New Hospital-Adjacent Steakhouse in Memorial City

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New Construction, Openings and Closings, Quicklink, Restaurants
1 Comment

THE NEW HOSPITAL-ADJACENT STEAKHOUSE IN MEMORIAL CITY And far below that lit-up crown that you can’t enter, there will soon be a steakhouse you can: Culturemap reports that construction is coming along at the mixed-use Gateway Memorial City development on Vallone’s, the red-meat-and-red-wine concept from the folks who feed you on a first-name basis at Tony’s. General manager Scott Sulma says that they hope to open here on Gessner Rd. and the Katy Fwy. in October. [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot] Rendering: Vallone’s

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Montrose
08/22/13 10:00am

A Greek Restaurant Revival in Montrose

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Openings and Closings, Renovations, Restaurants
12 Comments

This 1920 house at 4210 Roseland is being renovated into a Greek restaurant. The reader who sends this photo estimates that it could be open next year. County records show that the house was last sold in 2010; it’s about 2,154 sq. ft. and sits on a 4,500-sq.-ft. lot just south of Colquitt and east of Montrose Blvd.

Photo: Swamplot inbox

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Old Sixth Ward
08/21/13 11:10am

‘Sports Bar With Class’ Replacing Sports Bar on Washington Ave

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Openings and Closings, Quicklink, Restaurants, Washington Ave, Washington Corridor
21 Comments

‘SPORTS BAR WITH CLASS’ REPLACING SPORTS BAR ON WASHINGTON AVE The prophecy foretold by that plagiarized message put up in July on Sawyer Park’s marquee has come to pass: A new “sports bar with class,” Social Junkie, will be opening here on Washington Ave on Sept. 13, reports Culturemap. Social Junkie’s owned by Saleem Fernandez, who also owns Roosevelt Bar and 5th Amendment in Midtown. Fernandez tells Culturemap that this bar, like his others, will have a pretty strict dress code — and lotsa sports: “‘Tuesdays we will have a live video broadcast with a Texans player . . . . We will also have a live radio broadcast here — an a.m. sports radio station.'” [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Allyn West

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Idylwood
08/19/13 3:00pm

Non-Walmart Do-Nuts in Idylwood

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Openings and Closings, Restaurants, Retail, Strip Centers
6 Comments

Maybe attracted by the gravitational pull of the hulking 185,000-sq.-ft. Idylwood Walmart going up on the other side of S. Wayside Dr., Shipley Do-Nuts is moving into this strip center. This location is about 2 miles closer in than the one near HCC Southeast, also on the northbound Gulf Fwy. feeder.

Photo: Allyn West

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Montrose
08/15/13 2:00pm

Austin Bar Doc’s To Remedy Montrose Wendy’s Wreckage

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New Construction, Openings and Closings, Restaurants
11 Comments

The old Westheimer Wendy’s has been reduced to a shell of itself, this photo shows, as Doc’s Bar and Grill has come all the way from Austin to build itself up. Located at 1303 Westheimer and Graustark — right beside the overflow parking lot for Royal Oak Bar and Grill, which is right across the street — Doc’s says in a Facebook post that this 3rd location could open in November.

Photo: Swamplot inbox

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Nightlife
08/14/13 3:30pm

Say Howdy to the Largest Gay Country Bar in Texas

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Openings and Closings, Quicklink, Renovations, Spring Branch
27 Comments

SAY HOWDY TO THE LARGEST GAY COUNTRY BAR IN TEXAS Lamenting the closing of Brazos River Bottom in Midtown, the new owners of the 1955 Esquire Ballroom — where a young Willie Nelson, among other country crooners, cut his teeth — say they are restoring the vacant dancehall and saloon and will be opening on August 24 what they claim is the largest LGBT country bar in Texas. At 11410 Hempstead Hwy. in Spring Branch, the 10,000-sq.ft. building is now named Neon Boots and, according to a press release, is being renovated to include a “huge dance floor and performance stage, six bar stations, table service, [and an] expansive outdoor area with deck and patio. The owners also anticipate installing a mechanical bull.” [Neon Boots; previously on Swamplot] Photo of Esquire Ballroom: West Houston Archives

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