BLEND Bar Expanding to Houston

The high-end cigar bar concept BLEND Bar with Davidoff Cigars has announced its newest location: Houston.

More specifically, BLEND is heading to The Woodlands, an affluent Houston suburb located about 30 miles north of the city. BLEND is partnering with Dallas-based The Howard Hughes Corporation for the new space.

It’s a 4,500-square-foot location at 1701 Lake Robbins Drive, located just outside The Woodlands Mall.

“The Woodlands is an ideal market for our upscale cigar and bourbon bar experience,” said Corey Johnston, president of BLEND, in a press release. “We will offer customers unparalleled selections of spirits, wine and cigars from around the world in a luxurious environment featuring a state-of-the-art ventilation system. In addition, customers will be able to sample select gourmet fare for lunch and dinner.”

This is BLEND’s fourth location. It debuted the concept in Indianapolis in 2013 and has since expanded to Nashville and most recently Pittsburgh. The company’s partnership with Davidoff extends beyond just a prominent display of Davidoff products in BLEND’s humidors with the cigar bar receiving a lot of the design elements Davidoff uses in its Davidoff of Geneva — since 1911 flagship stores.

BLEND was forced to choose The Woodlands and not Houston proper because smoking is outlawed in all bars in Houston. Downing Street Pub, which was grandfathered into the city’s smoking ban, decided to go smoke-free in 2014.

Davidoff itself operates its own flagship store in the Galleria area of Houston.