The $7.5 million rehabilitation of the Witte building on East Commerce Street—aka, the Chinese restaurant—is well underway.
Food & Drink
Mad Dogs owner purchases the Ticket Sports Pub
About a month ago, Mad Dogs British Pub ownership purchased the Ticket Sports Pub, 420 E. Houston St., from owner Todd Koym.
Commonwealth to open third downtown coffee shop, join Traveler Barbershop in the Burns building
Chuck Holdridge’s Traveler Barbershop is now open in the Burns building on Houston Street. Commonwealth Coffee & Bakery is 1-2 months behind.
Rosario’s owner Lisa Wong purchases El Mirador; last day of service Nov. 18
Lisa Wong, the owner of Southtown staple Rosario’s Mexican Cafe Y Cantina, has purchased El Mirador from Esquire Tavern owner Chris Hill.
Bella (on Houston) back open
Bella on Houston, the Mediterranean cuisine restaurant formerly on the River Walk, opened Friday night at its new location on East Houston Street.
Chocollazo to join Paleteria at Hemisfair
Chocollazo, the chocolate and candy shop on Broadway, has been selected as Hemisfair’s latest tenant and is expected to open by Valentine’s Day.
Royal Blue Grocery eyes February opening
The Austin-based store will offer a little bit of everything, “coffee and breakfast tacos, grab-and-go salads and sandwiches, grocery, beer/wine, snacks, beverages.”
Work begins on Houston Street food hall
GrayStreet Partners, one of the largest holders of downtown real estate, has begun putting a 15,000-square-foot food hall into the ground and mezzanine levels of the former children’s museum on East Houston Street.
Downtown’s taco landscape takes hit with Tommy’s, Bees and Sisy’s closings
In recent months, Bees and Sisy’s and Tommy’s Restaurant, both on North Flores Street, have closed their doors.
Roadmap Brewing Co. opens Saturday
The microbrewery is the creation of Dustin and Hannah Baker, who moved to San Antonio two years ago for Dustin’s job as a math teacher in the Edgewood Independent School District.
Cherrity Bar, ramen kitchen to celebrate grand opening
The East Side bar opened in April as a new concept for the San Antonio happy hour and nightlife seen: philanthropy through tippling.
Rezoning allows Pearl to add more apartments, hotel rooms, offices and breweries
On Tuesday, the Zoning Commission cleared the way for more expansion by rezoning 11 properties south and west of the Pearl, including the old Samuels Glass Co. and Fox Motel.
Bella on the River moving to Houston Street
Bella on the River, the inconspicuous River Walk restaurant near one of the river floodgates, is moving to Houston Street in late October. Specifically, Bella will be taking over the Houston Street Bistro location at 204 E. Houston St., between the Starbucks and the Majestic Theatre entrance. On Wednesday, the restaurant made the announcement on […]
Devils River Whiskey distillery, barber, coffee shop, pocket park coming to Burns building on Houston Street
Updated 12:40 p.m. with renderings of pocket park. By next summer, Dallas-based Devils River Whiskey will move its headquarters, while opening a second distillery and tasting room, inside the Burns building, 401 E. Houston St. “When you’re trying to grow a brand, it’s about getting the word out,” said owner Mike Cameron, who lives in […]
Brooklyn StrEat Food Park near Hays Street Bridge receives $350K in city funds
Brooklyn StrEat, a mobile food truck park planned for the near East Side, on Tuesday received $350,000 from the city’s Inner City Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ). The food park is an ambitious project that includes a three-story, open-air structure (with views of downtown from the roof) and a full bar; a play area for […]
Hemisfair prefers next tenants to offer sweets, sweat
All options are on the table regarding two spaces available for lease at Hemisfair. But the park prefers something sweet in one space and something sweaty in the other. Last week, Hemisfair released a requests for information on the two spaces. The most prominent of the spaces is the one-story Pereida House (above), which faces […]
Mayan-inspired bar Merkaba opening at former Swig location
Merkaba, a Mayan-inspired bar, will take up residence at the former Swig Martini Bar spot at 111 W. Crockett St. “It’s a new concept for us, something we haven’t done before,” said Derek Langford, senior general manager at Howl of the Moon, which is opening the new bar. Merkaba is a reference to the “vehicle” […]
Roadmap Brewing Co. brews first beer, eyes September opening
There’s no map to opening a brewery in downtown San Antonio, but Dustin and Hannah Baker have been forging their own way into the industry over the past 18 months. Roadmap Brewing Co., 723 N. Alamo St., is slated to open in September, and on Monday, the Bakers brewed their first batch, an IPA called […]
Playland pizza on Houston Street two weeks away from opening
Playland, a nontraditional pizzeria by the duo behind Southtown restaurants Feast and Battalion, and Rebelle at the St. Anthony Hotel, is two weeks away from opening in the Maverick apartment building on Houston Street, says partner and chef Stefan Bowers. Already, the restaurant’s patio has been outlined by a series of planters. Inside, the essential […]
Whisky Rose hopes to capitalize on west downtown’s future growth
Restaurateur Ceasar Zepeda, who owns and operates Sangria on the Burg on the northwest side, has been tapped by Weston Urban to open a restaurant at the Rand building on West Houston Street, around the corner from current tenant Rosella at The Rand. The restaurant, Whisky Rose, whose address is 143 Soledad St., will offer […]