Brian Ching as Impresario

Beloved soccer star will open second bar in EaDo.

Daniel Ortiz
E300F56A-E722-40E1-ACF0-4680A53DDF61-30415-00000882B3BAB018
E300F56A-E722-40E1-ACF0-4680A53DDF61-30415-00000882B3BAB018

He’s a famous soccer star, and now Brian Ching is, ahem, kicking his post-playing life into higher gear. He announced this afternoon that, through a crowd-funding initiative with Houston-based NextSeed, he’ll open his second EaDo bar.


Ching is a native Hawaiian who grew to international notoriety as an early leader of the Houston Dynamo team more than a decade ago and also represented the U.S. national team for some eight years. He plans to open the doors to the neighborhoody, dog-friendly East End Backyard in the fall. A press release said to expect an enormous 20,000 square foot patio, community garden and an emphasis on outstanding service and sustainability.

“We want this to feel like the biggest backyard in Houston,” said Ching of the project, noting that live music and special events will be on tap. “EaDo is my favorite neighborhood in the city, it’s the most exciting neighborhood in the city, and my hope is that East End Backyard really helps it feel more like just that: a neighborhood.”

Ching, 40, retired from playing professional soccer in 2013. He opened his first bar, EaDo’s Pitch 25 Beer Park, last year.

Dispatches
Fall Philanthropy Report: Urban Harvest Farmers Market Helps ‘Transform Food Accessibility’

What year was your organization launched? Urban Harvest’s Saturday Farmers Market started in 2004 with just seven vendors, providing an outlet for local farms, community and backyard gardeners to sell fresh produce harvested directly from their soils. Now in its 20th year, the market has grown to be one of the largest markets in Texas, supporting over 100 local farmers, ranchers, and food artisans all from within 180 miles of Houston. The market draws 3,000 customers every Saturday morning and includes many original vendors like Animal Farm, Atkinson Farms, and Wood Duck Farm.

Keep Reading Show less

Nancy Gonzalez, Denise Reyes, Christina Jack, Destiny Fernandisse (photo by Emily Jaschke)

WHEN THE GRANDE dame of Houston philanthropy steps up to chair the annual gala for one of Houston’s most elite cultural institutions, expect high elegance to abound and big bucks to roll in.

Keep Reading Show less

Debbie Festari, Ann Carl, Alicia Smith and Edward Sanchez (photo by Jacob Power)

A FABULOUSLY FASHIONABLE crowd of more than 650 turned up at the American Cancer Society’s annual Tickled Pink luncheon at the Post Oak Hotel. All wearing pink, because of course, they came to raise money for breast cancer research, and also to support some of Houston’s most generous and beloved ladies — chair Sippi Khurana and honorary chairs Leisa Holland-Nelson-Bowman, Donna Lewis, and Beth Wolff.

Keep Reading Show less
Wellness+Giving Back