LMJ's coffee concept

Astros fan favorite Lance McCullers, Jr. opens 2nd coffee and cocktails spot, with 2 more on the way

A Houston coffee shop and cocktail bar revealed an ambitious plan that will take it from one location to four in the coming months. Maven Coffee + Cocktails — a beverage concept that counts Astros fan favorite Lance McCullers Jr. as one of its partners — just opened its second location with two more on the way soon.

Photo by Chloe KIssner

Maven partners Blake Fertitta, Lance McCullers, Jr., and Juan Carlos Martinez de Aldecoa. (Oh, and Orbit.)

McCullers and his business partners Juan Carlos Martinez de Aldecoa and Blake Fertitta opened the first Maven this summer at Minute Maid Park as part of their Rex Hospitality company. It quickly developed a following for its cold brew coffee as well as coffee-based cocktails such as the carajillo and frozen espresso martini.

Maven has already built on that success with a new location at Toyota Center that opened for the Rockets home opened against the Golden State Warriors. They’ll follow that up with an outpost at the upcoming Thompson Hotel that opens next month in the Allen mixed-use development and the brand’s first brick and mortar location in Sawyer Yards that will open in early 2024.

“I have always been a coffee aficionado and craved to one day open a coffee shop that spared no expense and whose motto would be quality over everything,” McCullers tells CultureMap. “My love for Houston made it an easy choice to find a plot of land to make this dream become a reality. I wanted to bring a new fresh mind and attitude to the hospitality space where we create amazing atmospheres for both our guests and employees.” (The man who coined the phrase “Bury Me in The H” shared his intense love for Houston in this in-depth interview with CultureMap last year.)

The Toyota Center location is a cart located near the Frost East Club (Sections 118-122) that serves a range of cocktails including gin and tonics, margaritas, Old Fashioneds, and coffee-based cocktails. In addition, Maven’s frozen espresso martini can be found throughout the arena’s main concourse.

Maven’s location at the Thompson Hotel will be located on the first floor. It will serve coffee, pastries, and cocktails to both hotel guests and locals. As CultureMap has previously reported, it will joined by three new restaurants from Las Vegas-based TableOne Hospitality.

Similarly, the brick and mortar location will serve pastries, coffee, and a range of cocktails. Plans call for a space that will transition from a family-friendly coffee shop during the day to an upscale bar in the evenings.

“Unlike most coffee shops that are quick to market and lack details, Maven Coffee + Cocktails locations are beautifully designed and decorated with ample seating, an indoor/outdoor area, and a drink and lite bites menu that has been curated by industry experts,” McCullers says. “This ensures that along with the coffee, every visit and encounter with our spaces are of the highest quality.”

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switcheroo

2-acre Houston patio bar rebrands with new name and family-friendly menu

Photo by Sean Rainer

The bar's patio includes 10,000-square-feet of turf.

A bar in Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood is switching things up with a new name and revised menu. Effectively immediately, Woodland Social is now known as White Oak Social.

Simply put, the new name is designed to end confusion about the bar’s location, which many people assumed was in The Woodlands. In fact, it’s located next to popular concert venue White Oak Music Hall, which is reflected in the new name.

“We wanted a name that truly represented where we are and the community we serve,” the bar’s owners said in a statement. “Many guests thought we were located in The Woodlands, so renaming the business to White Oak Social makes our location clear and aligns our brand with the neighborhood we love.”

Along with the new name comes a few improvements. They include an outdoor playground that’s designed to appeal to area families, many of whom are already regulars.

In addition, the restaurant has broadened its menu. While pizzas still remain, White Oak Social now offers burgers, chicken tenders, more entrees, and a kids menu. An all-new brunch menu includes updated cocktails and more options for kids.

Piper’s Hospitality Group (Preslee’s Southern Good Eatery) opened Woodland Social in 2024. Originally named for the Woodland Heights neighborhood, the two-acre property has an 8,000-square-foot main bar area, a 15,000-square-foot outdoor patio that includes 10,000-square-feet of turf, and more than 100 parking spaces.

“We’re excited for this next chapter,” the group said. “The new name, the expanded menu, and the playground show our commitment to being a neighborhood gathering place for all ages.”

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