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Gallant Knight location to come under same ownership as Vintage Lounge, open newJan. 1

Amir Ansari, owner of Vintage Lounge on Kipling, will take over the GallantKnight location Jan. 1.
2511 Bissonnet will live on, if under a different name. Pick it and win a $2,500gift certificate.
Photo by Tim Durden

Well, it looks like New Year's Eve at the closing Gallant Knight is a no-go, but a New Year's Eve after-party is in the works. Vintage Lounge owner Amir Ansari is set to take over the location Jan. 1, he tells CultureMap exclusively.

GK's current owners have to hand the keys to the building over on Dec 31, but the venue will live on, albeit under a different name. "It's going to be sort of the opposite of Vintage," Ansari says. "We want to keep the live music; I'm in the process of contacting all the bands, and we will remain a neighborhood bar.

"We're not switching the music or stopping serving bottled beer, we're just opening up seven days a week to cater to the food, beer and sports lovers during the week and having live music on the weekends."

Yes, you read that right — food. Ansari, who owns a small restaurant in the downtown tunnels and whose wife's family owns Martin Preferred Foods, is adding a kitchen.

Other changes, besides some cosmetic ones (Gallant Knight's owners are taking its furniture and fixtures with them) include new hours — Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. — and no regular cover charge, ever. From 2 to 4 a.m. on weekend nights, Ansari says he envisions an RSVP-only after hours place to chow down for those who prefer to be among friends.

The interior design will be handled by Ansari's brother, Davar, who is also a partner in the venture.

The name is up in the air, and Ansari says he's sponsoring a contest to dub the new spot with the reward of a $2500 gift certificate.

The deal was inked about a month ago, and while many are already mourning the closure, Ansari says "the location is remaining in friendly hands." Gallant Knight's impending closure was first reported on CultureMap.

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toy story

Houston Toy Museum will shutter in the Heights after 4 years

Luke Skywalker action figure Houston Toy Museum

Photos via Houston Toy Museum

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Childhood whimsy took a mortal blow this week as the Houston Toy Museum announced it would be closing its storefront on 19th Street at the end of August.

"The truth is, we fell in love with the idea of being in a space that already held so much history and nostalgia for so many," wrote founders Matt and Sara Broussard in an Instagram post on Wednesday, July 22. "So we dreamed big, took a leap, and in some ways bit off more than we could chew. Even so, we are deeply proud of what we have built and have no regrets!"

The couple cited rising rent prices as the primary reason for the closure. The Greater Houston Partnership reports that gross office rent prices in the second quarter of 2026 had jumped to $31/square foot, up from a $28/square foot a year ago. For a 4,932 square foot building like the Houston Toy Museum at 321 W. 19th, such increases can compound into an untenable amount.

The Broussards assured their fans and supporters that the Houston Toy Museum was not disappearing completely. They plan to continue hosting events around the city, including pop-ups and LEGO builds. Their Instagram post ended with a hopeful promise that they will find another storefront location sometime in the future.

When the Houston Toy Museum first opened in 2022, it quickly became a one-of-a-kind hub of pop culture in the city. Built from donated toys and the Broussards' large personal collection, it housed an impressive array of everything from century-old dolls to the immense G.I. Joe playset the U.S.S . Flagg (which is 7.5 feet long) to modern video game systems. The museum hosted film screenings, community talks, and more on the history and importance of play. It also sold a lot of toys in the gift shop.

All of those items are headed to storage, but the Broussards remained upbeat and thankful for the four years they were able to entertain and delight Houston.

"What started as a daydream became a space filled with joy, nostalgia, creativity, connection, and community," said the statement. "We watched families make memories here, saw people reconnect with pieces of their childhood, hosted incredible events, and felt an outpouring of support that we will never forget.We owe so much to you, our community. You showed up for us again and again, and we cannot thank you enough for believing in what we created. Heights residents, and beyond, you helped spread the word about our little museum. Many of you have been our biggest cheerleaders from day one and we are forever grateful for that."

museums houston toy museum closings the-heights