A new concept planned for the Montrose area aims to give kids a chance to run and play in an immersive environment while their parents enjoy a bit of quiet refreshment.
A group called Recess Ventures is launching the restaurant-playroom concept, dubbed Recess, in Houston, said Scott Sulma, a longtime hospitality consultant who recently founded his own firm, May I Speak Hospitality. The group tapped Sulma to oversee the new venue at 1500 Waugh Drive.
“This concept really doesn’t exist in Houston,” he said. “There’s nothing like it outside of London and Dubai that will be at this scale.”
Sulma, who was one of the Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 honorees in 2021, said the Recess concept is designed to cater to families looking for indoor entertainment.
“Houston has a lot of beautiful green spaces, but when it’s hot or it’s raining, those aren’t really usable,” Sulma said. “This is designed to be a curated child’s retreat with a full-service restaurant that is very family friendly.”
Recess will occupy 12,675 square feet across two floors of a former Wells Fargo property, which Houston-based Braun Enterprises is redeveloping into a mixed-use project. The Recess portion is expected to cost $2 million, according to Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records.
TDLR filings are preliminary and are often subject to change.
The lease for the space was negotiated by Lindsey Lee of the Blue Ox Group, who represented Recess, and Simon Ha of Braun Enterprises, who represented the landlord. Both firms are based in Houston.
Bellaire-based LH2 Architecture is the architect of record, and Houston-based Construction Concepts Design is overseeing the project’s design.
Sulma said plans call for the first floor of the building to be dedicated to a variety of themed “playscapes,” where children can play while their parents eat at the bistro-style restaurant on the second floor. The company will hire dedicated supervisors to ensure the children are safe. Guests will be able to use the playscapes either by purchasing a membership or paying a per-hour fee, Sulma said.
Recess Ventures has tapped London-based Tigerplay, which specializes in designing custom play equipment for children, to help craft the playscapes.
While the menu for the bistro is still being worked out, Sulma said it will place an emphasis on healthful food and approachable dishes. The bistro also will serve wine, beer and liquor.
“We want to offer a menu that a 5-year-old will enjoy just as much as their parents,” Sulma said.
Sulma said he hopes to open Recess to the public either later this year or early next year.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the location,” he said. “We spent about eight months doing due diligence, and we feel this location intersects with some great neighborhoods, including the Heights, Montrose, (West University Place) and River Oaks. It’s right there in the center, and we are looking forward to inviting families to visit Recess.”
Houston has seen a number of family- and child-oriented businesses open in recent years.
Just this week, Learning Express hosted a grand opening for a Rive Village location. The store, which is at 2401 Rive Blvd., offers an interactive shopping experience for toys and gifts for all ages.
In February, a new-to-Houston, family-friendly experiential retailer called Camp opened in the Galleria.
Camp specializes in offering families a shop-play hybrid experience, often around a specific theme.
Kids entering a Camp store can expect to find a traditional toy store up front, offering puzzles, games, Lego sets and sweet treats. But behind a “secret, magic door,” children can explore a playroom with rotating themes designed to cater to young interests.
In a 2024 interview, Tina Malhotra, then-CEO of Houston-based Color Factory, said she anticipates a boom in family-oriented experiential concepts similar to what Recess hopes to offer.
“There’s clearly a desire for experiences,” Malhotra said at the time. “I think consumers are sort of increasingly valuing experiences over material possessions — and obviously, the pandemic had a lot to do with giving people that clarity and perspective. I think that shift we’re seeing in consumer trends is one that is going to keep growing.”