reboot rejected
Family friendly Houston restaurant shutters after less than 6 months
A Houston restaurant group has abruptly pulled the plug on its Garden Oaks location. Jax on the Tracks has closed, owner Gr8 Plate Hospitality announced.
Opened in February, Jax on the Tracks evolved out of The Union Kitchen, Gr8 Plate’s globally-inspired, full service restaurant that had operated in the neighborhood for almost 10 years. At the time, owner Paul Miller thought Garden Oaks diners would appreciate a more family friendly, affordable concept that centered around classic American fare such as burgers, pizzas, and fajitas. Unfortunately, it didn’t catch on quickly enough.
Gr8 Plate provided CultureMap with the following statement:
After careful consideration, Jax on the Tracks on Ella Boulevard has made the difficult decision to close its doors. While the concept was recently introduced to the neighborhood, many challenges ultimately led to the decision to discontinue operations at this location.
We are incredibly grateful to our guests, team members, and the Garden Oaks community for the warm welcome and support. There are currently no plans for another concept in the space.
In a separate conversation, Miller tells CultureMap that the switch from The Union Kitchen to Jax on the Tracks was too abrupt. It created confusion with regulars who missed dishes they’d been ordering for years.
“The people who had never been to the Union Kitchen loved it. They had a great time,” Miller says. “The people who had been to the Union Kitchen and had an expectation for that kind of food — our hummus, steak night, different cuts of fish — were blasting us.”
With revenues flat or declining, Miller says he made the difficult decision to close rather than using revenues from his other locations to keep Jax on the Tracks open in hopes its fortunes improved. Thankfully, the company’s other restaurants — including The Union Kitchen locations in Kingwood, Memorial, and Cypress; Jax Grill locations on Shepherd Dr. and in Bellaire; and Italian restaurant Passerella in Cypress — all remain open.
“It’s a hell of a lot more fun opening restaurants than closing restaurants. I can tell you that for damn sure,” Miller says.
