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    Federal Grill update

    Controversial Houston restaurant owner dishes on reopening dining room

    Eric Sandler
    Apr 27, 2020 | 4:55 pm
    Federal Grill Hedwig Village exterior
    So far, so good at Federal Grill.
    Federal Grill/Facebook

    Matt Brice may be Houston’s most controversial restaurateur, but he still feels comfortable with his decision to reopen his restaurant for dine-in service, despite orders from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Texas Governor Greg Abbott that prevented restaurants from serving customers in their dining rooms. On Monday, Abbott announced that those restrictions would end April 30, and that restaurants could begin operating at 25-percent of their normal capacity beginning May 1.

     

    Brice resumed sit-down service at the Hedwig Village location of his restaurant, Federal American Grill, on Friday, April 24. Enough customers requested reservations that the restaurant hit the 30-percent capacity limit he set on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Brice tells CultureMap.

     

    “The atmosphere was pretty amazing. People were just so grateful to be out. I didn’t get any tense, nervous people or anything of that nature,” Brice says. ‘They don’t seem afraid. They’re just ready to get their lives back. They saw what we were doing, which puts peoples at ease.”

     

    In addition to limiting capacity, Brice developed extensive health and sanitation procedures that include checking each employee’s temperature before they clock in, requiring all employees to wear face masks, an attendant to ensure only one customer uses the restroom at a time, and regular sanitizing of surfaces such as tables, door handles, and chairs.

     

    Developed through a combination of his own reading and with input from proposed guidelines from the Texas Restaurant Association, Brice’s protocols have put in the middle of a national debate about the procedures restaurants should follow when they reopen. As noted in a recent article in the New York Times, a lack of clear regulations from the government means restaurateurs are largely on their own in developing new standards.

     

    Choosing not to follow the state and county orders has come at a cost. Although county officials have not prevented the restaurant from operating, Brice has seen the criticism of his decision on social media and says protestors have shown up at his restaurant with signs.

     

    “I just ask people to do it respectfully,” he says. ‘There’s been a lot of naysayers, calling us murderers. We take it in stride. At the same time, Walgreens is open, Walmart’s open, and I just say don’t come out if you don’t want to come out.”

     

    Despite the criticism, he’s received support from a number of local restaurant owners. JCI Grill president Darrin Straughan sent hot dogs to feed Federal’s employees. Taste of Texas owner Edd Hendee spoke in Brice’s defense to Fox 26, and Gringo’s owner Russell Ybarra tweeted that Brice “had no choice” other than reopening the restaurant.

     

    That support, along with the positive response from customers, has him feeling optimistic about the future.

     

    “I feel really confident now that we’re at day three,” Brice says. ‘Every night has been a great response. I’ve had nothing negative yet, and I’ve been asking every single table what they think, is there anything better we can do.”

     
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    Matcha News

    TikTok star Keith Lee crafts matcha latte for Hill Country flood relief

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jul 11, 2025 | 9:30 am
    Keith Lee and matcha drink
    Instagram
    Keith Lee hoists his special matcha drink.

    The devastating floods that swept across Central Texas on July 4 are bringing out all kinds of charitable endeavors — and that includes a limited-edition beverage from Texas-based TikTok food influencer Keith Lee.

    Lee, a social media sensation whose online food reviews have benefited hundreds of small restaurants, is partnering with La La Land Kind Cafe on a special drink: Called the La La Land X Keith Lee Latte, it's a matcha drink in which 100 percent of the proceeds will go towards Kerr County flood relief.

    La La Land is the coffee chain founded in Dallas in 2019 with a mission to provide opportunities for fostering youth and individuals in need. It has three locations in Houston, along with 10 across Dallas-Fort Worth and six in Southern California.

    The new Keith Lee Latte will consist of double ceremonial matcha, with secret syrup, matcha cloud, a whole fresh strawberry, flaky salt, and matcha powder. (See Lee enjoy the latte in the video below.)


      
     
     
     
     
     
     
    View this post on Instagram
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    A post shared by Keith Lee (@keith_lee125)
     


    Matcha is the Japanese green tea powder that has experienced a surge in popularity, appearing in everything from drinks like the matcha latte to desserts like matcha mousse.

     Keith Lee Latte Keith Lee Latte is a matcha drink.Instagram 

    Lee, who relocated to Dallas in 2024, has been on a matcha kick ever since he tried it in Chicago, which he says "led me down a rabbit hole," and it has become his trademark drink. In May, he visited seven cafes across DFW in search of the perfect matcha in town, and that included La La Land, where he ordered a matcha with almond milk.

    He also has a charitable history, including a special visit he made to Taste Project in Fort Worth to donate $4,000 to support the nonprofit's mission to fight food insecurity.

    The Keith Lee Latte will be available at all La La Land cafes beginning Friday July 11, for a limited time only. From July 11-27, 100 percent of all proceeds will support flood relief efforts in Kerr County — "a community in our home state that’s hurting," La La Land Cafe says.

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