A unique business with unique offerings and an even more unique name has opened in downtown Houston.
“The first day the dodos went up in the windows, we had three or four people driving by who stopped in the street, put it in reverse and came back to look. I wanted to do something creative, off the beaten path and that was different. There’s not enough of that here in Houston, especially downtown.”
Jack Slater, owner of the Dodo Shack
Slater’s venture, which officially opened to the public June 27, began with vending machines. It evolved to an Amazon hub and once the space was rented, the discovery of a full kitchen in the building stirred his background in cooking. The incorporation of a pizza joint restaurant featuring baked goods and sandwiches was born.
As he looks around the room, with canned items and soaps from his homestead as well as candies, bottled Mexican sodas and 1980s video game themes on the wall, Slater recognizes there’s a lot happening in his building at 210 Grand Ave.
“It’s a challenge to describe,” he said.
It wasn’t his intention to open a restaurant
A west coast native, Slater, 38, moved to Missouri a handful of years ago and later settled on a six-acre farm near Solo. He said the area reminds him of his childhood in southern Oregon. The idea of opening an Amazon hub created a challenge because his home is just outside the organization’s required radius from Houston. That led to the purchase of a vacant downtown building, which to his surprise had a full kitchen.
Slater said it wasn’t his intention to open a small restaurant but with a background in pizza joints –– he worked summers as a teenager for his mother’s chain of five pizza places in three towns on the west coast –– he thought it made sense. And the Dodo Shack, and all that is included inside its four walls, was born.
“I wanted to do something quirky, off the wall and a different way,” Slater said.
Inside the front door are a pair of fun vending machines. There are rows of shelves featuring unique items and many homemade items, including soaps, candles and bath salts, for sale. As you travel through the building, you reach the display cabinet with fresh breads and baked goods as well as the warmer with fresh-made pizza slices.
‘Famous cream horns’ are among offerings
Mornings at the Dodo Shack include an assortment of pastries, fruit cups and parfaits as well as breakfast pizzas. Slater said the most popular item thus far has been the cream horns.
“We’re calling them our ‘famous cream horns’ because everybody knows about them,” Slater said.
On this particular morning, Slater had PB&J grilled paninis and blueberry turnovers. He said he also makes omelet cups and sausage croissants
“Whatever strikes my fancy is what goes in the bake case,” he said. “It changes daily.”
Lunch begins at 11 a.m. with pizza available to order or purchase by the slice. Pepperoni is a daily staple, and this day was accompanied by a cheeseburger option. Also on the menu are Dodo originals like the Green Goddess (premium veggie pizza featuring a balsamic vinegar drizzle), The Bucking Ham (a BBQ ham pizza), The Great White (grilled seasoned all white meat chicken breast) and The Cowboy (premium meats on house red or alfredo sauce).
“I like the whole menu –– obviously, I put it together,” Slater said.
Sandwiches are made daily on fresh baked bread with three options: white, sourdough and focaccia. They are made from scratch as much as possible. Customers can choose from The Cheesini (classic grilled cheese), Turkey Time (sliced turkey) or The Humdinger (pan fried and seared chicken breast).
“We lean toward sourdough bread,” Slater said. “It tends to be our favorite for our sandwiches.”
The business will continue to evolve
Slater said healthy food options are a priority. His focus is non-GMO foods, and he is searching for gluten free and Alpha-gal choices. He said a supreme pizza option has been highly requested but difficult to produce because he hasn’t yet secured organic vegetables.
“We try to produce everything organic if we can,” he said. “We try to restrict the number of pesticides, chemicals or processed foods.”
Slater said his business, which delivers Amazon packages locally, will continue to evolve. He has dreams of adding take-and-bake pizza options and home-style TV dinners. He also plans to soon take online orders via his website, https://dodoshackpizza.com, and deliver within 10 miles of the restaurant.
Slater said he has enjoyed connecting with fellow small business owners in downtown Houston. They’ve had discussions of street fairs and farmers markets once a month in the city streets. In the meantime, he hopes families will find the Dodo Shack a fun place and wholesale environment to grab a slice of pizza or enjoy a sandwich, play a game and enjoy downtown.
“We wanted to bring something new and different to town,” he said. “And I think we did.”
