closed for now

TABC 'blindsides' Houston breweries by forcing their restaurants to close

Saint Arnold's beer garden has been ordered closed.

Courtesy of Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Houston breweries are crying foul after a decision by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission shuttered their on-site restaurants. Saint Arnold Brewing Company founder and head brewer Brock Wagner shared the news that his brewery's restaurant, which has been open for patio dining since June 1, will be closed after the TABC changed the way it calculates the brewery's revenue.

Effective immediately, all of the beer produced at Saint Arnold — including that which is sold through a third party distributor to bars, restaurants, and retail outlets — counts towards the percentage of the restaurant's revenue that is considered to be from alcohol sales. Previously, only the beer sold at the restaurant counted, which allowed it to keep operating despite Gov. Greg Abbott's order that closed all bars, which the state defined as establishments that generate 51-percent or more of their revenue through alcohol sales.

The change will compel Saint Arnold to lay off 75 employees who would have otherwise worked at the restaurant, Wagner writes, but Saint Arnold remains open for to-go sales of both beer and food.

"Counting the beer we sell to distributors as if it were being sold in the restaurant defies common sense," Wagner said in a statement. "We are calling on the governor to make this easy fix so we can retain the 75 coworkers whose positions will otherwise be eliminated."

Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company founder and CEO Rassul Zarinfar tells CultureMap that he's equally confused by TABC's decision. He says he's meeting with the brewery's attorneys to determine the best way to respond. Currently, Buffalo Bayou has moved all of its restaurant's seating to an outdoor tent, and the restaurant also supplies food to the drive-in movie theater at Sawyer Yards.

"This is a complete blindside and a vastly different interpretation than any reasonable logic can arrive at," Zarinfar says. "If this is true, TABC is literally changing the math in the middle of the game."

The change also has the potential to affect Karbach Brewing Co.'s on-site restaurant, but it has been closed since July 3 after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.

Wagner is calling on brewery supporters to request that Abbott reconsider the decision by contacting the governor's office online. Similarly, the Texas Restaurant Association has a form on its website to lobby for changes that would change the revenue cap from 51-percent to 60-percent, which would allow more bars that also serve food to continue operating for dine-in service.

craft-beer

bring on barnaby's

Favorite Houston comfort food spot picks Garden Oaks for 10th location

Courtesy of Barnaby's Cafe

Barnaby's Cafe is coming to the Stomping Grounds this fall.

Earlier this week, real estate developer Bryan Danna promised “big news…very soon” about a new tenant for the former LuLoo’s Day & Night space at his Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks. That news is that Houston favorite Barnaby’s Cafe has claimed the space for a new location that will open later this year.

When a Barnaby’s decal appear on the restaurant’s door a couple of days ago, news of the restaurant’s imminent arrival spread quickly on social media. It will be Barnaby’s tenth location, joining outposts in Montrose, River Oaks, the Heights, and more.

The restaurant will occupy a 2,250-square-foot space at the Stomping Grounds. It will offer a to-go window for people hanging out in the development’s green space as well as a gated, dog-friendly patio. Houston artist Roberto Cervantes will contribute works to the restaurant’s interior.

Founded in 1992 by restaurateur Jeff Gale, Barnaby’s is known for its wide-ranging and affordable menu of classic American fare, including salads, sandwiches, breakfast items, and dinner entrees. Customer favorites include the Lebanese chicken fattoush salad, chipotle black bean burger, baby back ribs, and green eggs, which are scrambled with spinach and artichoke hearts. Dogs can snack on a special “puppy menu” of ground beef, sliced chicken breast, or scrambled eggs over brown rice.

Stomping Grounds green space A to-go window will expedite orders for people in the Stomping Grounds' green space.Courtesy of Stomping Grounds

“Bringing Barnaby’s to Garden Oaks and Oak Forest has been on my wish list for more than a decade, so I’m incredibly grateful that Jeff Gale and his team saw Stomping Grounds as the right fit,” Danna said in a statement. “Jeff and I go back to his first Heights location, which was one of Barnaby’s first big moves north of Montrose, and I have always respected what he and his longtime team have built. Thirty years in the restaurant business is a serious accomplishment. You do not make it that long unless you know how to take care of people, build loyalty, and become part of the neighborhood.”

When it opens this fall, Barnaby’s will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm. It will join other restaurants at the Stomping Grounds, including Fat Cat Creamery, Tex-Mex restaurant La Mex, Bollo Woodfired Pizza, casual sushi restaurant Himari, Little Sister Cake Shop, and High Five Mini Bar. Earlier this week, casual Vietnamese restaurant Pho Prime announced that it had claimed the space formerly occupied by The Pho Fix for a new location that will also open this fall.

news-you-can-eat openings stomping grounds barnaby's cafe