Oiler Studio, a creative social club launched in September 2023 at coworking provider Common Desk, is relocating within north Houston’s City Place to expand its footprint and offerings with a year-long pop up soft launching this month and celebrating its grand reopening on June 1. Founders Maggie Judge and Yvette Dzumaga have signed a lease with City Place master developer CDC Houston for an 1,872-square-foot, ground floor space at 1700 City Plaza Drive facing The Plaza. The prime City Place 1 location will incorporate an outpost of J-Bar-M Barbecue, an acclaimed smokehouse that originated in Houston’s EaDo district.
Just steps from its original Common Desk site in the heart of City Place’s bustling urban core, the new venue will allow Oiler Studio to further test its proof of concept: an experiential hub for walk-in guests and members age 21 and over to enjoy curated food and craft beverage offerings alongside an array of hands-on workshops and activities, as well as creative programming, events and related services designed to engage, entertain and build community.
Since initially debuting in fall, Oiler Studio has built a loyal and growing following as a place for unique and memorable meet ups, celebrations and team building experiences in addition to a welcome alternative to the bar scene for local singles and solo travelers to mix and mingle. A rotating selection of more than 50 activities, starting at just $6 per person, span the gamut from wine glass painting, photography classes, meditation and cigar rolling to pottery, hula dancing, flower arranging and whiskey tasting. Ticketed theme nights and events also speak to a variety of tastes with offerings such as comedy roasts, murder mysteries (the last Friday of every month), poker and karaoke. A comedy night will launch on May 17 with a two-hour show priced at $20 per person.
Additionally, to go creative kits – ideal for enjoying amidst City Place’s numerous green spaces, including adjacent City Place Park – are designed for a range of ages and will soon include paint by numbers, diy kite making, bird watching, cookie decorating and more.
According to Judge, “With its ecosystem of office workers, hotel and meeting/event guests, residents, plus visitors from the surrounding areas of Spring and The Woodlands, City Place has proven to be an ideal environment to unveil and build on the Oiler Studio concept. Combining premier mixed-use elements and a beautiful natural backdrop, it’s a setting that works well to encourage connections through creative expression.”
Oiler Studio hours will be 5 until 10 pm on Tuesdays, 10 am until 11 pm Wednesday through Saturday and 10 am until 2 pm on Sundays. It is closed on Mondays. J-Bar-M will offer an abbreviated menu from the flagship location with dinner service only on Tuesdays, lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday, and a Sunday brunch with live music component anticipated to launch later in spring.
A perfect pairing for fun and food, Oiler Studio’s full bar is focused on quality over quantity and showcases a creative menu of cocktails priced in the $7-12 range with a daily happy hour. Highlights will include a showcase of French 75 varieties and a classic old fashioned.
Oiler Studio offers a build your own event format with party packages starting at $25 per person. Private bookings are available for celebrations and team building days. For more information, call 832.582.0278 or visit www.oilerstud.io.
