Tag Archives: restaurants

Printed menus are back

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Those QR code menus that we all either got to experience or had to put up with (as one sees it) from the pandemic are on their way out. Like many ambitious restaurants around town, the newly opened Pastore leaves … Continue reading →

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“More Space: Main Street” permanently extended

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A good outcome for a good idea. Houston will close down traffic on seven blocks of Main Street permanently to allow businesses to maintain outdoor seating spaces initially established during the COVID-19 pandemic, with plans to expand the concept to other commercial strips in … Continue reading →

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William-Paul Thomas

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is bad. The question is how much worse might it be. William-Paul Thomas, the mayor’s council liaison, was offered more than $13,000 by a local bar owner to help him pass a building inspection and fast-track a new permit … Continue reading →

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Multiple restaurants hit by “bad Google review” scam

Posted on July 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is on Google to fix. Multiple Houston restaurants are being targeted by a scam involving one-star Google reviews and a demand for digital gift cards to remove the negative post. The number of restaurants being extorted has grown in … Continue reading →

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Stalking Coco, the food delivery robot

Posted on May 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A delightful tale by Chron food editor Emma Balter, who was determined to prove to herself that Coco the food delivery robot actually worked as advertised, even on Houston’s notoriously un-pedestrian (and presumably food-delivery-robot) streets. It took a couple of … Continue reading →

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Who wants to have their dinner delivered by a robot?

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your chance. Heads up, Houston: the robots are coming. Coco, the Los Angeles-based business that offers a remotely piloted delivery service, has hit the streets of Houston with its food-delivery bots as part of its expansion to targeted markets. … Continue reading →

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Council adopts vape extension to smoking ban

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The city outlawed vaping in public spaces Wednesday, amending Houston’s smoking ordinance to include electronic cigarettes. City Council voted 16-0 to approve the amendment, proposed last year by the Houston Health Department in response to growing scientific consensus on … Continue reading →

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More eating outdoors downtown

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good idea, and I’m glad it’s being continued. DINING IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON CAN be a hassle, what with the limited parking and COVD-19 restrictions affecting seating space at so many eateries. Fortunately, the city of Houston is … Continue reading →

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City Council to consider adding vapes to smoking ordinance

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds reasonable. I’ll be interested to hear what the opponents have to say. City Council on Wednesday will consider a proposal to bar the use of e-cigarettes and any kind of vaping in public spaces under Houston’s smoking ordinance. The … Continue reading →

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Alcohol to go passes both chambers

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Off to get a signature. The Texas Senate on Wednesday passed a measure to permanently allow Texans to purchase alcohol to-go from restaurants, advancing a shared goal of Gov. Greg Abbott and restaurateurs. House Bill 1024, which cleared the lower chamber last … Continue reading →

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Space City Safe

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I wholeheartedly endorse this. A new crowdsourced website that allows Houstonians to vet a business or restaurant to see if they are following COVID-19 guidelines has exploded with responses. The website, Space City Safe, is the brainchild of 25-year-old Heights … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Booze to go set to go

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas House has passed legislation that would allow restaurants to sell alcohol to go beyond the coronavirus pandemic. The chamber signed off on House Bill 1024 to permanently allow beer, wine and mixed drinks to be included in … Continue reading →

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What can we expect from the maskless mandate?

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More COVID, obviously. The Centers for Disease Control is increasing pressure on Republican leaders in states like Texas that have eased COVID restrictions, publishing a study on Friday showing evidence that the measures — such as the mask requirement that … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

More maskless mandate stuff

Posted on March 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of a roundup, because there’s so much out there. Three of Gov. Greg Abbott’s four coronavirus medical advisers say they weren’t directly consulted prior to lifting mask mandate In April 2020, an optimistic Gov. Greg Abbott announced at … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 41 Comments

Reactions to the maskless mandate

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with the doctors, since clearly they weren’t consulted. Houston-area doctors and medical professionals reacted with dismay to Gov. Greg Abbott’s Tuesday decision to roll back the state’s mask mandate and other precautions against COVID-19. “I had a pretty … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

On capping restaurant delivery app fees

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me, but I’ll bet more than fifteen percent of my most recent delivery tab that this does not go anywhere. High delivery fees by third-party apps, such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, are often cited by restaurant operators … Continue reading →

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Drinks to go on the legislative menu

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Looks likely to succeed. As the 87th legislature kicks into high gear in Austin tomorrow, a new bill introduced in both the Texas House and Senate is aiming to make to-go alcohol from restaurants and bars permanent. Venues in Texas … Continue reading →

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More COVID restrictions are about to happen in Harris County

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Blame Greg Abbott and the virus, in whatever order you prefer. Houston and its surrounding communities on Tuesday became the latest region to require new emergency restrictions after seven straight days of ballooning coronavirus hospitalizations. The rollback, mandated under Gov. … Continue reading →

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The regional COVID situation

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Not great, Bob. COVID-19 is surging across southeast Texas, especially in the suburban counties outside of Houston, which have seen a steady increase in the number of new cases, data show. Galveston, Chambers, Brazoria, Liberty, and Montgomery counties have all … Continue reading →

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Eating on the street

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This makes a lot of sense. Main Street bar owners are expected to take to the streets now that the city has given them the OK. City Council on Wednesday approved, after some delay, plans for the More Space Main … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The bar conundrum

Posted on December 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Halloween this year in downtown Austin was a raucous affair. Nightclubs advertised dancing and drink specials. Thousands of people crowded 6th Street, partying shoulder to shoulder, some with masks and some without. All of this happened as bars in … Continue reading →

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Who’s concerned about the state’s coronavirus spike?

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Not Greg Abbott, or Dan Patrick, or Ken Paxton, that’s for sure. The Oregon governor is calling it a “freeze.” In New Mexico, it’s a “reset.” Across the country, state elected officials are frantically rolling back their reopening plans to … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

It’s still not too late to prevent a big spike in COVID infections

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

But it will be soon. A rise in COVID-19 cases has health care officials and government leaders pleading with Houstonians: Act now to prevent, or at least minimize, a third wave of infections across Greater Houston. “This feels a lot … Continue reading →

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Don’t look now, but COVID numbers are ticking up again

Posted on October 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In the state as a whole. Texas reported more than 4,100 people hospitalized with the coronavirus on Wednesday, its largest total in six weeks and one that comes amid rising infections in El Paso and North Texas. Hospitalizations hit a … Continue reading →

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Abbott to allow bars to reopen

Posted on October 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Sort of. It’s kind of the most Abbott thing ever. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that bars in Texas can reopen for in-person service next week — as long as their county governments choose to allow it. Effective Oct. 14, … Continue reading →

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Bar owners still mad at Abbott

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t blame them, but the situation is complicated. As Gov. Greg Abbott outlined his latest reopening plan this week, bar owner Greg Barrineau watched in disbelief. Abbott, who announced that Texas restaurants could expand dine-in service to 75% capacity, said … Continue reading →

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From the “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it” department

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Who’s ready to re-reopen Texas? Gov. Greg Abbott signaled he may be preparing to roll back some emergency restrictions put in place this summer at the height of the state’s coronavirus surge. Responding to concerns from the battered restaurant industry, … Continue reading →

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Food trucks and bars

Posted on August 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I approve of this. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission approved rules Tuesday intended to make it easier for bars to legally operate as restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state agency greatly expanded rules that had already offered a limited … Continue reading →

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It’s still hard out here on bars and restaurants

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I continue to worry about our once-thriving hospitality industry. Hundreds of Texas bars and restaurants are scrambling to change how they operate, maneuvering through loopholes that will allow them to reopen after being closed by Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest shutdown … Continue reading →

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The economic effect of losing college football this fall

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I have some sympathy, but I also have some skepticism. Texas’ five major conference football teams – Baylor University, Texas Christian University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin — are massive economic drivers … Continue reading →

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Restaurants may get to use parking lot space for dining

Posted on August 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I like this idea. Restaurants in Houston, currently limited by 50% indoor capacity limits, may soon be able to serve diners in parking lots to accommodate more guests. Pending a vote by the Houston City Council, a “More Spaces” plan … Continue reading →

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Beer gardens get jerked around

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

First, we had this. Saint Arnold Brewing announced Monday that it will temporarily close its beer garden and restaurant. The reason? Gov. Greg Abbott’s office ruled it is a bar, not a restaurant, and therefore should close according to the … Continue reading →

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There’s a lot of COVID litigation out there

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Lawyer surveys the landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a growing subset of new business litigation in Texas: companies suing the government over shutdown orders or definitions of essential versus nonessential businesses. One of the latest examples to make … Continue reading →

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Wineries and distilleries

Posted on July 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m happy to keep beating this drum, but I’d really rather not have to. The owners and patrons of Ironroot Republic Distillery in Denison hardly consider the business to be a bar in the traditional sense. There’s no loud music … Continue reading →

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