The Marquis II is located at 2631 Bissonnet. The building was originally built in 1952 for a California food chain known as The Big Donut.

The Big Donut was a dine-in restaurant with a drive-thru window. Their claim to fame was having a large helium balloon shaped like a donut on top of their buildings. This picture is the original artist rendering for the development. If you turn around, you can still see where the drive-thru window was located by our front door. The base of The Big Donut sign can still be found in our parking lot.

The architect of the building was a man by the name of Lars Bang, who was a part of the 1950 graduating class at the University of Houston School of Architecture. Known for his mid-century modern style, Bang’s work can still be seen in many houses in the Meyerland area. Bang was also the architect for the original Tony’s Restaurant.

The Big Donut operated for a short time before it closed its doors in the early 60’s. Since their closure, our building has been home to several different businesses, including a watch repair shop, Goode Co. Storage, and a gentlemen’s club known as “The Bunny Club.” The Bunny Club operated from the mid 70’s until it caught fire and closed in 1983.

Although our original location was located on Shepard and W. Gray in 1945, The Marquis II has moved 3 times since then. We are one of the oldest bars in Houston but are often overlooked as such due to our change of locations. Thankfully, in 1985, we planted our roots here in the city of West University and have operated continuously ever since.