If your weekends revolve around sand volleyball, big screens and a dog who practically has a usual, it is time to set a final date. The Powder Keg, a dog-and-kid-friendly outdoor bar in Spring Branch’s Founders District, will close on May 9 after nearly seven years as a neighborhood hangout. The beer garden and patio, known for its dog park, sand volleyball courts and rotating food-truck schedule, announced the shutdown on social media this week. Regulars say the space evolved into a rare west Houston combo, a family-friendly spot that still stayed busy late into the night with sports fans and dog owners.
As reported by the Houston Chronicle, the Powder Keg team shared on Facebook, “We want to say thank you to the community for nights and weekends that were more fun than we ever could’ve imagined.” The Chronicle also noted that a Puma Development representative said there are plans for a new operator to take over the building, with more details expected in the coming months.
According to the Powder Keg, the venue offered four sand volleyball courts, a fenced dog park and more than a dozen flatscreen TVs, along with a rotating tap list of local craft beers, frozen cocktails and wine. The open-air layout and steady stream of food trucks helped it stand apart from more traditional indoor bars around the city.
Part of a bigger campus
The Powder Keg opened in 2019 as an anchor entertainment concept inside Puma Development’s Founders District, a roughly 32-acre mixed-use campus of retail, office and residential projects, according to Puma Development. Hoodline covered the bar’s arrival in 2019 in a piece highlighting its dog-friendly Spring Branch patio, calling out its outdoor focus and pet-welcoming design.
“It’s been a closing of one chapter and the opening of another,” Jorge Ortiz, the bar’s managing partner, told the Houston Chronicle. Staff have thanked regulars and longtime visitors for embracing the venue’s mix of family hours and late-night sports crowds.
Puma Development has indicated the building will be turned over to a new operator, with additional information to be shared in the coming months. In the meantime, the Powder Keg will stay open through its final service days, giving fans a little more time for a last game, last drink or last romp in the dog park. Anyone tracking end-of-run events or final hours should keep an eye on the bar’s website and social channels for updates.
