We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Melgar and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jennifer, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I realized how much friends and acquaintances would ask me for recommendations to restaurants and bars. I don’t consider myself a social media person, so at the time I was posting pictures and videos of my Houston outings on Snapchat and reviewing places on Yelp. I loved keeping up with new openings and even had an excel spreadsheet with ideas for things to do in town, yearly Houston events and places to visit. I would often get questions like, “What’s the name of that new bar that you posted on your story?” and “Hey what’s a fun place for brunch on Sundays?”. I realized that a lot of people don’t really know what is going on in their own backyard. There is always something going on in Houston, you just have to know where to look. That’s where I come in. I want to guide people to find a spot for any mood, vibe or day of the week! I focus on nightlife, bars, events and fun things to do in Houston!
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
If you think that Houston fun is only reserved for the weekends, think again! I take a different approach by highlighting Houston’s fun things to do, events, bars, nightlife scene, and trendy spots. As a native Houstonian, self-proclaimed night owl and social butterfly, finding that perfect spot for any mood and day of the week is my niche. I love my city and want to show all the amazing places we have. I highlight classics and trendy new spots. You’ll find anything from cocktail bars, sports bars, patio bars, brunch spots, date night ideas, dive bars, lounges or clubby dancing spots for a night out.
Something that sets me apart is that aside from featuring Houston spots, I also provide insights around favorite weekly events around Houston. I love being able to share what places are fun on any given day. Most bars have different DJs, promoter brands or events throughout the week. The atmosphere on a Thursday might be completely different from a Sunday. So whether it be live music performances, DJs, or fun events such as comedy shows and game nights, it’s helpful for people to know what to expect. I’m excited to eventually get to a point where locals and out of towners can get personalized itinerary ideas for a day or night out based on their preferences. My business brand is still a work in progress, but I have definitely improved when it comes to learning the ins and outs of being a content creator.
I want people to know that my brand stands for transparency and honesty. I think we hold a lot of power as consumers and I aim to support brands, businesses and organizations that are doing right when it comes to treating customers with respect and running their business/missions with integrity. I’ve declined collaborations in the past that don’t align with my values. I also want the world to know that I’m a low maintenance gal. Sometimes I do check out flashy, upscale trendy spots in town, but I prefer places that have a good crowd, music and ambiance without the fuss. There are some places that are popular because of the “wow factor”, but aren’t necessarily great because of poor customer service or pretentious vibes. At the end of the day, I want to support and partner with brands and businesses that I actually would recommend or visit. I hope that the places and activities I feature will resonate with the everyday Houstonian that just wants to explore the city, have a good time and make some memories.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hmmm, that’s a good question! My approach to recommendations change based on the preferences of who’s asking me. These would be some of my suggestions though:
Start off Monday with a Houston classic for dinner at Oishii! They have buy 1, get 1 free on select rolls and appetizers from 3 pm – 7 pm Monday to Friday! After getting a sushi fill, head to a weekly Monday comedy night at Rudyard’s, Axelrad or Notsuoh. CRU is also a cool spot for some DJ music and hookah specials on Monday. I would also suggest Avant Garden for their Monday Jazz Night or Gotti’s for their weekly live music on Mondays!
On Tuesday, start your day early by doing lunch at Winnie’s since they have a $7 cocktails and po’boy lunch specials from 11 am to 5 pm Monday – Fridays and $1 oysters all day on Tuesdays! Afterwards ride bikes along Eleanor Tinsley Park for some city views! For dinner, get it right by doing Taco Tuesday and margaritas at Pistolero’s! Afterwards, go to Tikila’s or Big Owl Craft for Loteria Night and if you are still feeling energetic, continue to party at Lumen.
On Wednesday, do lunch at Pho Saigon in midtown! For the evening, I recommend Steak Night and weekday party, Raising the Steaks. The Wednesday party used to be at Bottled Blonde on Washington Ave., but recently moved to Now or Never in Midtown. Also do Reggae Night at The Flat in Montrose! Finally, be sure to hit Haze on Washington Ave. for the weekly Wednesday party!
Thursday starts off with Museum day where you can get free entry into various museums within walking distance. During the evening, get a pizza and pasta dinner at Tiny Champions. The ambiance and food is a must! Then, some daiquiris at East End watering hole staple, Voodoo Queen! Afterwards, do turtle races at Little Woodrow’s in midtown or Latin Night at a few different spots like Rabbit’s Got the Gun, Sunset Rooftop Lounge, Cle or Pretty Liar! If you want to keep it chill, do cocktails at Better Luck tomorrow or Thursday Jazz Night at The Ready Room in the Heights.
On Friday, we start with dinner at Be More Pacific since they have reverse happy hour on their Filipino bites and cocktails starting at 9 pm. Then, continue with a free weekly burlesque show at Social Beer Garden and finally some drinks at one of my favorite bars, Monkey’s Tail! I also would highly recommend checking out Sixes and Sevens for one of the best parties on a Friday!
For Saturday, go all out with some barhopping. My favorite neighborhoods to bar hop are Main St. in downtown, EaDo, Montrose or Washington. Let’s say we go to Main Street. I would recommend hitting up some of my favorites like Capt. Foxheart’s, High & Dry, Fabian’s, Bovine and Barley, Boots & Shoots, newcomers La Diabla and B.C.D! After 2 am, the night isn’t over quite yet. Head to a fairly new after hours at Mary’s After Dark right in downtown. To end the night, get street tacos at the famous Taconmadre food truck that stays open till 5 am on weekends!
On Sunday, brunch and mimosas are a must so do Piggy’s for their patio and DJ playing chill music, Boheme for their drag brunch shows or Ducky Mcschweeney’s for brunch and live music! Afterwards the Sunday Funday continues at SoHo Garden in downtown with latin music by DJ Pollo and finally Standard in midtown!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to give a big shout-out to all of my day one followers that have supported me from the very beginning. When I decided to create my page, it was a total secret. I felt insecure with so many talented content creators and influencers already present. I didn’t even tell any of my close friends or post about it on my personal Instagram for a long time so I literally started with zero followers. However, somehow I started getting follows, comments and even DMs with compliments from complete strangers that liked my content. I’m truly thankful for their support and giving me that boost of confidence I needed. So if you are reading this and have followed and stuck around, I just want to say, you’re the best! I love hearing from y’all so hit me up with suggestions or just to say hi! I also want to thank my sister for always encouraging and believing in me. She continues to be my number one cheerleader and understands my vision. I know that I can always count on her for bouncing off ideas, a pep talk or to vent about a frustrating moment. Lastly, I want to thank one of my close friends. She’s been my wing woman for events, checking out new spots and taking pictures of me. She actually took the first picture of me that I posted! She hypes me up and even promotes my page proudly to the people she meets!
I also recently made connections with other content creators through group chat communities and we are sharing our knowledge to support each other when it comes to paid partnership transparency. Shout-out to @Foodiepayday. If you’re a foodie and need help with securing paid partnerships, definitely check out the page for valuable information!
Instagram: htownwithjenni
Other: Tik Tok – @htownwithjenni