Houston’s craft beer lovers and smash burger fans got a bit of bad news on Tuesday, March 18. Star Sailor, a community-oriented bar and restaurant in Lazybrook/Timbergrove, announced it will close on Sunday, March 30.
Open since December 2020, Star Sailor paired an expansive craft beer selection with a comfort food-oriented menu by chef Miranda Quintanilla that included an acclaimed smash burger. Owner Marin Slanina brought her experiences from Conroe's B52 and the Houston branch of New Orleans-based Urban South Brewery to the project. During its run. Star Sailor earned a reputation for being welcoming to all and supporting other local businesses with markets and other events. The Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce named the restaurant as its 2024 Business of the Year.
Slanina tells CultureMap that she and her landlord reached a mutual decision to terminate the restaurant’s lease. Simply put, persistent issues with the physical systems of the restaurant’s building made it impossible for Star Sailor to generate sufficient revenue to remain viable.
“A huge expense we’ve had is recovery and repairs from all kinds of issues,” Slanina says. “The derecho hit us really hard. Plumbing issues we’ve had for our entire duration in the building. We haven’t been able to recover in any way.”
Those issues began in April 2024 when the restaurant flooded due to problems with the plumbing system. It happened again in July after Hurricane Beryl, in September, and in January after the snow storm and subsequent rains. The restaurant also closed for six days after the derecho in May. Not only did the expenses of repairs put a drain on the business, the plumbing problems also limited capacity, which made earning the necessary revenue to keep operating almost impossible.
“I do think our biggest impact was the ability of the building to house enough people to make our top line sales,” Slanina says. “If we had more than 50 people in the building, our toilets would stop working, and people had to leave.”
While this chapter is coming to a close, Slanina looks back on the experience. Star Sailor earned a number of accolades during its tenure, including being selected as theby the The Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce.
“Having the third space and what those look like and what are comfortable spaces. That’s what Star Sailor’s whole concept and execution is. All of the balance with customer support and building support have to go hand-in-hand to make a perfect match in Houston restaurant heaven,” she says.
The next two weeks will be focused on serving as many people as possible and selling off as much of Star Sailor’s assets as she can. Then it’s time to start looking for another job. She remains committed to a career in the hospitality business and creating more spaces like Star Sailor that are welcoming to a diverse range of people.
“I’m very proud of the space that was created. I would do it all over again and probably the same way. Except we wouldn’t waste our money on expensive soap,” she says with a laugh.
“It’s been so freaking rad being part of Houston’s food scene and being a safe space for all. Thank you very much.”
Courtesy of Star Sailor
Star Sailor owner Marin Slanina and chef Miranda Quintanilla.
A to-go window will expedite orders for people in the Stomping Grounds' green space.Courtesy of Stomping Grounds