sustainability minded

Houston kicks off green hospitality program ahead of World Cup matches

Hotels, motels, and restaurants are eligible for one of three awards.

Photo by Carla Gomez

As the World Cup approaches, Houston’s hospitality businesses will be looking for ways to stand out and draw the attention of the thousands of soccer fans who’ll be attending one of the seven matches at Houston Stadium (aka, NRG Stadium). Towards that end, Houston’s World Cup Host Committee has announced a new initiative to promote hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses that are committed to sustainability.

Called “New Year, New Hou,” the program will reward hospitality businesses that engage in environmentally-friendly business practices with one of three awards:

Yellow Leaf (small businesses only) (3-6 points): Organizations completed actions that build awareness of sustainability and demonstrate immediate impact.
Blue Leaf (7+ points): Businesses scaled up and expanded sustainability actions for greater impact.
Green Leaf (7+ points and certification): Larger organizations showcased concerted efforts and earned a sustainability certification from those listed in the toolkit (e.g. Dine Green, Green Key).

To qualify, businesses complete an online survey that asks about practices related to waste management, energy use, and managing natural resources. They include: giving customers the ability to easily opt-out of plastic silverware for to-go orders, recycling, using LED light bulbs, composting, installing EV chargers and bike racks, planting trees, and sourcing ingredients from local farms. The application is open from January 12 until February 28 and is open to all restaurants, hotels, and motels within the Houston-Galveston Area Council boundaries.

“This is about making sustainable practices accessible and impactful for our local hospitality community,” Elizabeth Carlson, sustainability committee chair of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee, said in a statement. “The FIFA World Cup is a once-a-generation opportunity, and through ‘New Year, New Hou,’ we want to help Houston businesses not only prepare for an influx of global visitors, but also strengthen their operations in ways that will benefit them and the community long after the final match is played.”

Shawn Gawle Camaraderie World Cup sustainability Chef Shawn Gawle has earned a Blue Leaf at Camaraderie.Photo by Carla Gomez

Camaraderie, an casual fine dining restaurant in the Heights, has already received a Blue Leaf.

“For neighborhood restaurants like ours, sustainability isn’t a trend. It’s part of being a good community partner,” chef-owner Shawn Gawle said. “Programs like the Hospitality Sustainability Toolkit make it easier for small, locally owned restaurants to take meaningful steps that reduce waste, save resources and meet the expectations of visitors coming to Houston from around the world.”

Businesses that qualify will be included in a tourism guide that’s available for World Cup visitors.

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Mutiny on the White Oak

Staple Heights wine bar and restaurant will shutter after 6 years

Photo by Jenn Duncan

Mutiny will close on January 31.

A wine bar and restaurant in the Heights is coming to the end of a six-year run. Mutiny in the Heights will close on January 31.

In an email to the restaurant’s supporters, co-owner Mark Ellenberger writes that rising costs for ingredients, insurance, and labor contributed to the decision to close Mutiny. “The closing is driven by increased costs and the traffic just did not sustain the operation,” he writes in response to CultureMap’s request for comment about the decision.

He also thanked Mutiny’s customers for their support. “You weren’t just customers. You were the familiar faces who stopped in after work, the couples who always sat at the same table, the friends who brought visiting family ‘to their spot.’ You celebrated birthdays here, toasted milestones, celebrated wedding receptions, had first dates, and made this place feel alive.”

Ellenberg and his wife Emily Trout opened Mutiny Wine Room in January 2020 as a companion to Kagan Cellars, their award-winning winery. It featured selection from boutique wineries that produced between 500 and 5,000 cases per year. Patrons could sample more than 30 by-the-glass options along with an extensive selection of bottles.

Food has always been part of Mutiny’s offerings. Originally, the restaurant served California cuisine, but last year it changed its name to Mutiny in the Heights and adopted a more family-friendly menu that includes a burger, meatballs, and steak frites.

Between now and January 31, Ellenberger writes that Mutiny will run specials for up to 50-percent off wines for both dine-in and to-go. Details about an anniversary/farewell on January 22 will be shared on social media.

As for the future, Ellenberger explains that he’ll continue to focus on Kagan Cellars, including launching a wine club. “We will also keep our hand in the hospitality sector through our investment in Stella Kenwood in Sonoma, CA.”

Elsewhere in the Heights, The Kid, a craft beer and burger concept from the owners of The Flying Saucer, quietly closed at the end of the year, Chron reports. Earlier this week, Rocket Farm Restaurants announced it will replace it’s Tex-Mex restaurant Superica with a casual steakhouse called Star Rover.

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