Talk of a second location of Eight Row Flint opening in East Downtown has been buzzing for months, and today Agricole Hospitality – the parent company of Eight Row Flint, Coltivare and Revival Market – confirmed that three new concepts will be opening in a development of East Village at 1201 St. Emanuel, where Chapman and Kirby just opened in late May followed by SeaSide Poke in early June.

A mini food-truck park concept out of Dallas called Truck Yard and a distillery are expected to soon open in the development as well. Lucky East Siders!

However Eight Row Flint won’t be opening a second location in this warehouse-turned-mixed-use-development. Agricole Hospitality heads Morgan Weber and Ryan Pera along with Vincent Huynh who serves as culinary director, plan to open three all-new concepts and have set a deadline of Christmas 2017.

East Village site plan, designed by Mak Studio.

The development will include a bar that will certainly appeal to fans of Eight Row Flint: Miss Carousel. A representative of Agricole Hospitality describes the watering hole as:

“…a destination bar and a lounge for the restaurant. Miss Carousel will be a great destination bar as well as a fantastic place to lounge with cocktail service before enjoying a meal at Indianola (noted below).

The space is designed in living room vignettes with well-furnished couches, chairs, rugs and a fireplace. There’s also a secluded courtyard with 20-foot walls that open to the sky that’s positioned to become one of the most coveted hideaways in the downtown area.

The menu, meant to be easy to navigate without intimidation, will have 25-30 cocktails grouped in familial categories, familiar to most drinkers (sours, collins, highballs, spritzes).”

Indianola, the restaurant mentioned above, will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and, according to a press release, will feature “dishes guests know, recognize and want to eat will be prepared using Agricole’s sensibilities – a dedication to real, fresh food that’s locally sourced whenever possible. As Ryan likes to say, ‘Great care makes great food. We care a lot about the quality of food we’re serving and the quality of service we’re providing.’ Agricole’s commitment to sourcing and using quality products will continue with Indianola.”

What’s with the name? Indianola was a port city on Matagorda Bay, Texas in which many German immigrants made their way through when entering the United States before the Civil War. Now a ghost town, it symbolizes the mix of ethnic backgrounds and foodstuffs that are part of the Texas culinary landscape. Diners at the forthcoming eatery named after the landmark can expect a wide and seasonal variety of menu items given Weber, Pera and Huynh’s diverse backgrounds.

Regarding the aesthetic of Indianola, Weber says “We’re stepping away from the rustic look of Revival and Coltivare. This restaurant will look very different from our concepts in The Heights.  More modern, sleek, bright.”

A rendering of Indianola’s patio. Image courtesy of Agricole Hospitality

And speaking of bright, the third concept, Vinny’s, will be a 30-seat pizzeria (with an additional 20 seats outside) and is described as “modern and bright with a lot of neon.” Vinny’s will offer late-night service and delivery. 

While restaurant group Treadsack experienced extreme growth (and then extreme messiness) opening four concepts and then closing all four within 12 months in the last year, Agricole Hospitality has been successful (and measured) in opening, tweaking and developing its Revival Market, Coltivare and Eight Row Flint brands in The Heights.

We hope they have as much success as they expand to East Downtown. The recent revitalization of the East End means the group will have to cater to two quite different consumer markets.