Petit Lucie, 301 Milam, will have its soft opening May 30 at Market Square Park. The opening will coincide with the Grand Opening Block Party at Main Street Promenade, a free and family-friendly event with live music, DJs, street performers and local vendors.
The all-day cafe comes from Culinary Matters, a locally-owned hospitality group led by famed chef and culinary prodigy, Omar Pereney. Born in Venezuela, he became a teen-age celebrity chef on El Gourmet’s cooking show Yo Cocinero at the age of 14, then did his first stint as an executive chef at the ripe old age of 16. His career took him all over the world and he helped to open Peska Seafood Culture here in Houston in 2015. His career has included being a private chef for the late President George H.W. Bush and founding Culinary Matters which operates his bakery Love Croissants.
The new cafe takes over the space which once held a kiosk for Niko Niko’s, one of Houston’s most popular Greek eateries. More restaurants have joined the Market Square area, which has always been a meeting spot for those taking advantage of the quirky bars surrounding the square. The space has been transformed by design firm Gensler to integrate into the neighborhood, which features some of Houston’s oldest buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The park itself is designed with a European aesthetic, offering a relaxing space on the edge of Houston’s bustling downtown. Petit Lucie fits right in with the city plaza, offering a covered dining pavilion, an indoor-outdoor bar and an open kitchen. The seamless design gives a Parisian bistro feel that allows for wine sipping and people watching.
The cafe will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., offering a variety of dining services. Guests can indulge in pastries from chef Diana Nadira such as coffee buns, blueberry Earl Grey scones, key lime tarts and the much-craved croissants. There are also dishes like lemon blueberry French toast, truffled fries, steak frites and coquillettes au jambon, a sophisticated French take on macaroni and cheese. A rotating selection of ice cream, as well as the team’s “life changing” birthday cake, are other delicious items available for a perfect day at the park.
From morning coffee drinks like espresso or matcha, to seasonal cocktails and a curated wine list from Advanced Sommelier Jaime de Leon, there are plenty of beverage options including drinks served from a custom St. Germain cart during peak hours and special events.
The 31-year-old Pereney says that Petit Lucie is about creating moments of escape and discovery in the middle of the big city. He adds, “We wanted to build something romantic, but approachable — a place where someone can stop in for a croissant and espresso in the morning, meet friends for cocktails in the afternoon or linger over a casual dinner under the stars at night.”
Anthony and Luca’s Pizza Kitchen, 9618 Jones, softly opened May 24 in the Jersey Village area. It’s been a highly-anticipated arrival for those who are rabid fans of its New Jersey and New York-style pizzas as well as its Philly cheesesteaks. Founded in Pinellas Park Florida, by CEO Brian Petruzzi, the restaurant serves Northeast favorites with a focus on authentic Italian American flavors.
The focus on quality ingredients is what makes the concept stand apart. The sauce is made from San Marzano tomatoes and the dough is imported from Brooklyn, made with the famed Brooklyn water which is purported to be softer water, prized for New York City bagels and pizza pies. The restaurant also flies in seeded Sarcone and Amoroso rolls for its cheesesteaks and sandwiches.
The New York pizzas are thin and foldable, while the NJ Boardwalk pies are topped with grande mozzarella first, then drizzled with plum tomato sauce. For those who want to check out both versions, the restaurant offers a half and half pie, plus by the slice options. There is also a Sicilian deep dish pizza fried in a square pan.
The ribeye cheesesteaks use locally-sourced beef, sauteed onion and Cooper sharp American cheese. There are also chicken Phillies as well as eggplant, cutlet and meatball subs. The menu features a variety of panzeratti, plus pepperoni pinwheels, arancini and wings. Desserts include tiramisu, cannoli and a New York ricotta limoncello cheesecake.
Petruzzi, who was born and raised in both South New Jersey and South Philly, said in an email statement, “We are excited to bring real Philly bread, the best ribeye cheesesteaks, New York or Jersey boardwalk style pizza and our favorite Italian street foods to the Houston, Texas market.”
There are several more locations planned for Florida and Ohio soon, plus two more in the Houston area in the next 24 months.
Jax on the Tracks, 3452 Ella Boulevard, had its final day of service this week. The shuttering comes only months after Gr8Plate Hospitality transformed the space from one of its Union Kitchen locations to the more casual Jax burger spot. The Garden Oaks TUK closed in January 2026 and was quickly replaced by Jax at the end of February.
We reached out for more information and were told in an email “After careful consideration, Jax on the Tracks has made the difficult decision to close its doors. While the concept was recently introduced to the neighborhood, many challenges ultimately led to the decision to discontinue operations at this location.”
Owner Paul Miller told CultureMap Houston that the switch was too abrupt and created confusion with regulars who had visited The Union Kitchen for years.
According to the email there are no plans to open another concept in the Garden Oaks space. Meanwhile, Gr8 Plate Hospitality continues to operate three locations each of The Union Kitchen and Jax Grill.
Milkshake Factory, 4747 Research Forest, will open May 30 in The Woodlands. It’s the second Houston area location for the dessert brand to open, with the first debuting in Cypress this past March. The Woodlands shop is located in Cochran’s Crossing Village Center and will host a grand opening May 30 from noon to 4 p.m. with buy-one-get-one free offers on shakes, molten cups and sundaes. There will also be free Milkshake factory T-shirts for the first 100 guests, plus festive giveaways.
The brand was founded in Pittsburgh in 1914 as a soda fountain by Greek immigrants Charlie and Orania Sarandou and is now fourth-generation owned. The newest store is owned and operated by franchisees Paul and Lisa Winslow, residents of The Woodlands, who felt the handspun shakes and house-made chocolates were a natural fit for the community.
All the Crave Cheesecakes LLC, 11901 Barker Cypress, will close May 30 after nearly 14 years of creating single-serving cheesecakes that were really all the crave. Founded by Marlene and Darrel Farmer, the shop opened its first eat-in shop in Cypress in 2017. Guests could grab a cup of coffee and one of its 20 flavors of cheesecakes. It also featured seasonal flavors throughout the year.
Its social media posts cited Marlene Farmer’s current battle with lung cancer and other health challenges as the reasons that “require us to step back and focus on healing and quality time with loved ones. While this is not the path we would have chosen, we are trusting in God’s plan and His strength for the journey ahead.”
The dainty cheesecakes freeze really well, for those who want to grab some of the tasty desserts before they’re gone.
HTteaO, 19343 FM 1093, will host a grand opening May 30 in Richmond with free cups of tea from 10 a.m. to noon and free T-shirts to the first 250 customers. There will be happy hour pricing both May 30 and May 31, plus half-priced gallons of tea from May 30 through June 6. Customers can also enjoy BOGO Brewhouse coffee through June 6.
The new store is owned by first-time franchisees Barbara A. Crane, Jude Crane, David Dittman and Kristen Dittman.
Bludorn Hospitality Group is expanding outside of Houston with a new concept at the Liberty Saloon building in the Pearl District of San Antonio. It will be the 6th restaurant for the group headed by chef /restaurateur Aaron Bludorn, wife and partner Victoria Pappas Bludorn and business partner Cherif Mbodji. More details about the concept and its opening date will be revealed in the coming months.
Restaurants Reported Open May 2026:
1111 Cocktail Lounge, 1111 Westheimer, opened May 4
7 Brew, 10026 Highway 6, opened May 18
Andy’s Frozen Custard, 11450 Barker Cypress, opened early May
Anthony’s New York Italian, 3748 Westheimer, opened May 5
Bar Daphne, 347 W. 20th, opened May 8
Burgerchan, 506 Yale, opened mid-May
Ember & Vine, 23931 Gosling, opened late April
Graze HTX, 3417 White Oak, opened May 5
Killer Burger, 1909 Taylor, opened May 6
Kirkwood, 11720 Katy Freeway, opened May 11
Layne’s Chicken Fingers, 609 Main, opened early May
Panera Bread, 8845 W. Loop S., opened May 6
Paris Baguette, 1835 N. Shepherd, opened May 18
Pot Belly Sandwich Works, 295 Enclave, opened May 5
Saigon Hustle, 23703 Cinco Ranch Boulevard, opened May 14
Taco Palenque, 21340 Kuykendahl, opened March 26
The Taco Stand, 1016 Gessner, opened May 21
Truluck’s, 1900 Hughes Landing Boulevard, reopened April 23
Restaurants Reported Closed May 2026:
Dean’s Downtown, 316 Main, closed April 26
Hidden Omakase, 5353 W. Alabama, is temporarily closed, reopens soon
House of Fries, 5322 Antoine, closed May 1
KP’s Kitchen Bellaire, 5427 Bissonnet, closed May 31
Lupe Tortilla, 5482 FM 1960 W., closed in early May
Plum Coffee, 11688 Barker Cypress, closed April 30
