Six New Restaurants to Open in Houston’s Montrose Collective in 2022

Montrose Collective, the hub of retail shops and restaurants on Westheimer Road, will welcome at least six businesses this year, including Dallas-owned Chelsea Oyster Bar, Austin’s diet-inclusive restaurant Picnik, and a new establishment by Clark Cooper Concepts, the restaurant group behind Brasserie 19.

A document obtained by Eater Houston illustrated the layout of the two-level mixed-used development space, highlighting eight food establishments as “executed,” including Idle Hands, a Caribbean-Latin American restaurant, and award-winning Japanese sushi spot Uchi — both of which are already open.

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Steve Radom, managing principal of Radom Capital, the Heights-based real estate development firm heading the project, confirmed that the 180,000-square-foot collective will feature at least 30,000 square feet of restaurant space, and will host staggered openings throughout the year. In other words: by the end of 2022, Montrose’s food choices should be even more plentiful.

• Graffiti Raw, a casual restaurant noted on the layout, will offer light fare with fire-grilled proteins and a vibe reminiscent of both Venice Beach, California and Tulum, Mexico. Though he declined to name the man behind the new spot, Radom emphasized that it’s a well-known Houston-based restaurateur. A certificate of formation for Graffiti Raw, LLC, lists Grant Cooper — behind restaurants Brasserie 19, Gratify, and Coppa Osteria — as the manager.
• Austin-based Picnik, known for its options that cater to various diets, including keto, paleo, vegetarian, and gluten-free, will open a full-service restaurant — with highlights being weekend brunch, pressed juices, and cocktails, which include zero-proof alcohol options.

• Baltimore’s Atlas Restaurant Group will open Italian chophouse, Marmo, by the end of March — offering diners an assortment of salads, fresh pasta dishes, charcuterie and live music by its horseshoe-shaped cocktail bar.
• New York-based ice cream company Van Leeuwen is slated to serve scoops there, too — opening in its third Houston location in the collective within the next month. (Owner Ben Leeuwen told Eater on Tuesday that there’s going to be a special Texas-themed flavor. More on that, to come!)
• Dallas-owned establishments will also claim space. La La Land Kind Cafe, a charming coffee shop known for its festive drinks and heartfelt mission, and Chelsea Oyster Bar, will open later this year. The oyster bar will partner with a well-known local chef, though Radom also declined to name him.

While some details of the project are still to be determined — five spaces on the layout of Montrose Collective are listed as available — Radom said he’s confident that the collective will be an anchor in the city and a

“We’ve said no to a lot of prospective groups that weren’t as interesting or differentiated enough from the offerings in Montrose,” Radom said. “When we try to curate our projects — and we’ll never be perfect — we really do care.”

Radom said his firm’s goal was to invest in a project that would benefit the city, and with the firm’s members being “foodies,” and Montrose with a bustling restaurant scene — a space with quality food options just made sense.

“We’re catering to Houstonians who live within a few miles of the [collective], so the food has to be great. The price has to be reasonable,” he said.

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