Find out how to Save a Houston Dive Bar

Bobby Heugel and Peter Jahnke is likely to be identified for his or her fashionable Montrose cocktail bars Anvil and Refuge, however the enterprise companions are doing far more across the metropolis to avoid wasting Houston’s older bars. Up to now couple of years, they’ve purchased Catbirds down the road on Westheimer and Blue Lagoon Membership in Spring Department. So how do you retain a dive bar alive with out…fully altering the vibe? We spoke with Heugel about preserving these watering holes.

Houstonia: What was the inspiration for purchasing the bars?
Bobby Heugel: Peter and I was roommates, and we lived a number of blocks away from Catbirds. When the prior proprietor determined to not need to proceed to function it, we determined to try to maintain it round. We’ve been profitable at that, and I believe that have went so properly that we thought we may do one thing comparable for Blue Lagoon, which was in the same place.

What are some measures you’ve taken to achieve the belief of regulars?
Effectively, I believe in Montrose, once we did Catbirds, we had been clearly identified, proper? Individuals had been afraid that we might flip Catbirds right into a cocktail bar. We had to withstand a few of our previous repute. And at Blue Lagoon, we’re a less-known commodity, proper? That’s a neighborhood the place we [didn’t] have something. Individuals who stay and drink in Spring Department have a tendency to remain of their neighborhood. 

So, at Catbirds, we needed to sort of resist our prior repute, whereas at Blue Lagoon, I believe we’re going through a distinct hurdle, which is simply making an attempt to get to know folks and earn their belief as a brand new identification, versus an identification with as a lot baggage as we [had] in Montrose.

Why is it vital to take care of these kind of bars in Houston?
I believe we’re in a hyperaccelerated novelty cycle with regards to eating places and bars, the place individuals are craving what’s new as a result of it provides them social fairness on their social media feeds. The ramifications of which can be that older locations don’t get the identical consideration, and their worth in a really aggressive restaurant and bar house has been lowered as a result of they don’t supply the identical social fairness {that a} newer enterprise does. That signifies that older areas are actually threatened.

And never solely that, however plenty of these older areas specifically are owned by folks from the boomer technology which can be getting older in life and are taking a look at retirement and are going through rising prices in lease, insurance coverage, and different issues which can be making it arduous for them to proceed as they attain that time of their life. If folks don’t step in and attempt to save these areas, we are going to miss them.