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    Coronavirus News

    TABC loosens COVID-19 requirements to help bars in Houston survive

    Teresa Gubbins
    Aug 26, 2020 | 1:00 pm
    Antone's downtown venue Fifth Street 2016 bar liquor bottles alcohol brands
    Bars get a break from the TABC.
    Photo by Daniel Cavazos

    The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has cut some slack on the rules regarding Texas bars, which it says will make it easier for bars to reopen under current COVID-19 restrictions.

    The TABC approved a new amendment that removes certain obstacles and theoretically makes it easier for bars to be classified as restaurants.

    Under Gov. Greg Abbott's current order, bars are not allowed to be open. Restaurants and restaurant with bars are allowed, as long as 51 percent or more of their sales comes from food.

    A flurry of bars that serve food have applied for a certificate in which they operate as restaurants. But that process has been complicated by restrictions, which the TABC has now removed.

    There are three obstacles removed:

    • Commercial cooking equipment is no longer required
    • Commercially pre-packaged items can be counted
    • Food trucks can also be counted

    TABC's amendments are to Rule 33.5, which covers food and beverage certificates. The new amendment goes into effect immediately. It means that:

    • Bars can now reopen even if they don't have commercial-grade kitchens.
    • Food prepared off-site, including packaged items, can now be sold at bars.
    • Bars can now partner with food trucks and count those sales toward the TABC's rule that food must represent 51 percent or more of their gross revenue.

    Bars and restaurants have borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic, and especially bars. Gov. Abbott closed them down in March, then allowed them to reopen May 22, then abruptly shut them down again on June 26.

    "Many establishments that would have otherwise remained shuttered will be able to reopen and operate in a safe manner due to these amendments," the TABC amendment says. "This result will not only help mitigate the economic crisis in the State of Texas resulting from the COVID-19 disaster, it will also protect the welfare of thousands of members of the regulated industry and their employees who rely upon the income from these establishments to support themselves and their families."

    "Without the option offered by this rule amendment, many of these establishments will be forced to close permanently within the next 30 days," it says.

    Bar owners still must apply for a Food & Beverage Permit. And while there are now fewer restrictions from the TABC, it doesn't take into account what's happening within individual cities, who would have to sign off on new certificates of occupancy that go along with these changes, representing possibly another set of hurdles and expenses.

    cocktailsnightlife
    news/restaurants-bars

    one last squeeze

    Ben Berg's New York-inspired, fancy burger joint will soon shutter

    Eric Sandler
    May 21, 2025 | 5:16 pm
    BB Lemon exterior
    Photo by Leah Wilson
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    The original location of Ben Berg’s fancy burger joint will soon serve its last meal. B.B. Lemon on Washington Avenue will close after service on Sunday, June 1, the restaurant announced on social media.

    In response to CultureMap’s request for comment about the decision, a representative provided a statement that reads in part:

    “It is never an easy decision to close a restaurant,” Berg said. “The love Houston has shown B.B. Lemon-Washington over the years is what made it such a special place. Thank you for making us part of your everyday moments and life celebrations.”

    The statement continues that the restaurant is “no longer part of our strategic plan,” referring to Berg’s company, Berg Hospitality Group. However, the location of B.B Lemon that opened last year in the downtown tunnels will remain open.

    Open since late 2018, B.B. Lemon takes inspiration from iconic New York City restaurant JG Melon, including its signature green-and-white checked tablecloths. Thanks to a spacious patio and a lively atmosphere, B.B. Lemon soon found favor with area residents and downtown office workers, who made it a happy hour favorite.

    Like its decor, B.B. Lemon’s menu also takes inspiration from the East Coast. In addition to a diner-style, wagyu cheeseburger, the restaurant serves an array of comfort food that includes fish and chips, a lobster roll, and blue crab beignets.

    Berg’s decision to close B.B. Lemon follows last year’s closure of Benny Chows, its New York-inspired Chinese American restaurant. In January, the company closed NoPo Cafe to make way for a new location of Bagel Bob’s HTX.

    The group also opened three new concepts in 2024: live fire steakhouse Prime 131, retro diner Buttermilk Baby, and upscale steakhouse Turner’s Cut. It will open a second location of Buttermilk Baby in Sugar Land this summer.

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    news/restaurants-bars
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