cup of jo

Favorite Austin coffee shop brews up first Houston location in the Heights

One of Austin’s favorite coffee shops is opening in the Heights on Friday, February 14. Jo’s Coffee will open its first Houston location at 1023 Studewood Street.

Founded in 1999 by Texas hotel legend Liz Lambert and her brother Lou, the original Jo’s is located next to Austin’s Hotel San Jose. Even those who’ve never had a cup of coffee there will recognize Jo’s often-imititated “I Love You So Much” mural. Bunkhouse Hotels, the hospitality group Lambert founded that’s now part of Hyatt, still operates Jo’s and decided the time was right to bring it to Houston.

“Everyone here at Bunkhouse has absolutely fallen in love with Houston; and considering our growing presence with the opening of Hotel Saint Augustine and then Hotel Daphne later this year, opening up a Jo’s here felt like a natural progression,” Bunkhouse Hotels president Lisa Bonifacio tells CultureMap in an email. “We believe Jo’s will really resonate with Houstonians, especially in Houston Heights, and we are so excited to bring another little taste of Bunkhouse to the city.”

To ensure the Houston location of Jo’s offers the proper Austin vibes, Bunkhouse worked with Austin’s Hip.Hop.Design Studio on the interior design and purchased custom furniture from Austin’s RAD Furniture, which is located near the original Jo’s on South Congress.

Jo’s is best known for its House Blend, a medium roast coffee, and signature drinks such as the draft Iced Turbo, made with coffee, espresso, hazelnut, chocolate, and cream. It also offers wine, craft beer, and frose. Food options include breakfast tacos and locally-baked pastries.

Bunkhouse also wanted to ensure that Houston has an offering that’s unique to its location. Named for a style of house that’s seen through the Heights, the Bungalow is a vanilla latte kicked up with cinnamon and a little cayenne.

“Celebrating the locals that make a city great is a huge part of how we approach everything at Bunkhouse,” Bonifacio explains. “We want this Jo’s Coffee to feel singular to Houston Heights for everyone who comes in.”

To celebrate the opening, Jo’s will offer customers free drip coffee all day on Friday. In addition, it will give away a limited number of Jo’s Coffee posters, as seen on the shop’s Instagram.

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Bunkhouse has made a splash in Houston in the past few months. As Bonifcaio notes, the company opened the Hotel Saint Augustine, its first Houston property, in December. Later this year, it will add the Hotel Daphne, a new property on 20th St, in the Heights. Could another Jo’s location be far behind?

“We’re always looking at growth and to the future, but right now, we’re focusing on getting it right with this first Houston location,” Bonifcaio writes.

Photo by Chad Wadsworth

Jo's Coffee has arrived in Houston.

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Bari on the move

River Oaks Italian spot claims shuttered Woodlands steakhouse for new location

Courtesy of Bari Ristorante

Bari will serve dishes such as pappardelle bolognese.

Another inner loop dining favorite has set its sights on The Woodlands. Bari Ristorante will open its second location in the booming suburb’s popular Waterway section.

More specifically, Bari has claimed the former Tris space at 24 Waterway Avenue for a new location that will open in early 2026. Work is already underway to transform the space in line with Bari’s original location in River Oaks District. Think Bari’s signature salt walls and a similar color palette.

“Residents of The Woodlands have long enjoyed a reputation for being wine and food lovers,” Bari owners Pedro Teyuca and Tommy Nally tell CultureMap in an email. “You can see that by attendance in their many culinary events and support of the local food culture. Many of our longtime customers live in The Woodlands and have been after us to open Bari closer to home.”

Just as diners can expect a similar design between the two locations, so too will they find a nearly identical menu. That means fan favorites such as truffle pasta that’s finished in a parmigiano reggiano cheese wheel, branzino baked in a salt crust, and a chateaubriand steak that’s cooked in the pizza oven and flambéed table-side. A press release notes that all dishes are made in-house.

“Diners can experience respect for Italian food in a setting that evokes the stylish glamour of Milan and Rome. Serving classic dishes found from the mountains to the sea,” Teyuca and Nally write. “The menu will include dishes that represent the “Best of Bari” as well as the addition of premium cuts of meat.”

Bari opened in May 2023 under the direction of Teyuca, Nally, and chef Renato De Pirro. It quickly drew crowds for it classic italian fare and lively, see-and-be-seen atmosphere.

The trio acquired Georgia James steakhouse from Underbelly Hospitality in the summer of 2024. Tris, a fine dining steakhouse, closed in January after the departure of executive chef Austin Simmons. In early 2026, Simmons will open Charolais by Chef Austin Simmons, an ambitious new concept in The Woodlands’ Hughes Landing district that will include both a restaurant and a butcher shop.

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