James Harden’s Restaurant Locked Out After Alleged $2 Million In Unpaid Rent

Former Houston Rockets star James Harden’s Midtown restaurant Thirteen, was locked out by its landlord this week. A notice posted on Thirteen’s front door dated September 1 (Labor Day, oddly enough), said that the locks were changed and that the tenet owes north of $2.2 million in delinquent rent and fees. Meanwhile, the Houston Chronicle reports that the landlord is also suing Harden, Thirteens Hospitality Group, and 13 Strikes LLC in Harris County District Court seeking $1 million or more in damages because of the failure to meet rental obligations and or maintain the property per city and fire codes. This isn’t the restaurant’s first lawsuit either. 

ABC News reported that Thirteen was named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in December 2024. The suit alleges the restaurant overserved a guest, who later ran a red light and crashed, killing himself and six others, including former NFL cornerback Derek Hayden. The lawsuit, brought by the mother of one of the victims, is also seeking more than $1 million in damages.

Anvil’s Bobby Heugel and Jacki Schromm will open new bar in the Heights this Fall

Later this fall, Bobby Heugel of Anvil, Better Luck Tomorrow, Refuge, Catbirds and Blue Lagoon Club will open Donna’s with Jacki Schromm in the former Ready Room space at 2626 White Oak Drive in the Heights. The cocktail bar’s name, announced on Instagram, is a tribute to Schromm’s grandmother, whom she describes as “a woman of remarkable strength, kindness, and quiet power.”

As previously reported by CultureMap Houston, Donna’s will be the latest project from Thorough Fare, the hospitality company Heugel runs with James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu. The group also operates Squable, Theodore Rex and the aforementioned bars. Schromm has worked with Heugel at Anvil and is currently general manager at downtown whiskey destination Reserve 101.

Bunkhouse hotels to debut Hotel Daphne’s Italian restaurant this November 

Austin-based Bunkhouse Hotels (acquired by Hyatt last year) is opening its newest property, Hotel Daphne, in the Houston Heights this winter. The 49-room boutique hotel won’t start booking guests until January next year, but its restaurant and lounge, Hypsi, will open in November for dinner service. The kitchen will be led by chef Terrence Gallivan, a James Beard Award nominee who previously ran The Pass & Provisions and Elro. Hypsi will focus on Italian-style fare and cocktails, including takes on aperitivo classics.