Bar Mogul Bobby Heugel Will Open a New Spot Next Door to Anvil

Houston bar mogul Bobby Heugel has announced plans to take over Etro, the bar that’s next door to Anvil Bar & Refuge.

Heugel announced the move in a lengthy Facebook post last week, noting that the landlord for the space at 1424 Westheimer offered him dibs on the address earlier this year. After extending the lease for Anvil Bar & Refuge, Heugel says that it made sense to “protect our interests at Anvil” and expand into the space with a new bar. “I felt very conflicted about playing a role in which I would be overtaking someone’s space that has been so good to me throughout the years, but ultimately, the decision was not mine,” Heugel wrote. “I was only left with a choice about how to react knowing Etro would no longer be my neighbor, and I think I’m making the best decision for our future.”

He’s as tight-lipped as ever on his plans for the space, but did note that it will not be an expansion of Anvil Bar & Refuge, or any concept that could disrupt “Anvil’s identity and consistency.” Considering the diversity of Heugel-involved bars across Houston, like The Pastry War, Better Luck Tomorrow, and Tongue-Cut Sparrow, it’s hard to predict what Heugel has in store next for Montrose.

Etro will close its doors in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more details on Heugel’s plans for the space.