15 Houston restaurants closing in 2024

In addition to the already high costs of running a restaurant in 2024, owners were left sweating after the storms in May and the hurricane in July. Houston restaurants lost up to tens of thousands of dollars as many were without power for days, had to throw away inventory and repair damage.

For example, Chris Nguyen opened Sweet Boutique Bakery with his wife 15 years ago. After a slow six months, they had to discuss closing this summer. Sales had been down 15-30% each month, and their biggest holiday, Valentine's Day, saw a 35% drop. The final nail in the coffin, however, was Hurricane Beryl. Even though the bakery was only closed for one day, potential customers had to contend with power outages and stopped ordering cupcakes.

“Food and beverage has always been tough, but right now it's especially tough, especially for small, single-location family businesses,” Nguyen said. “It's almost impossible to operate (single-location stores) right now.”

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The bakery has announced its last day open will be Saturday. Longtime Midtown restaurant Damien's Cucina Italiana and Nyam Nyam Cafe in Cypress have also set dates for their respective last days open. The May derecho was the last straw for Xin Chao; the business lost at least $25,000 in sales and was forced to close for good.

Here are 15 places that recently closed in Houston.

The Canary went from announcing the opening of its outdoor pool to announcing its closure within days. The neighborhood bar and grill in the Oak Forest neighborhood was only open for seven months before closing in July. It was a project of friends in the restaurant industry that took three years to open. The highlight was supposed to be the backyard pool, but guests weren't able to enjoy it.

Canary Coffee House abruptly closed last week. It had been at its Montrose location since 2021 after outgrowing its former Lindale Park location. It served coffee, tea, and beautifully made croissants and other baked goods. In a short Instagram post, the business explained, “If we've brightened your day even a little bit over the past few years, know that you've done the same for us.”

Underbelly Hospitality's Mexico City-inspired concept closed at the Houston Farmers Market after just seven months. The company said Comalito will move to a new space, but further details were not disclosed. Comalito had a moody opening, with award-winning chefs Luis Robledo Richards and Atzin Santos in charge. In a statement, Richards said the space was bigger than they had hoped for the concept, which served street tacos and a show-stopping spiral churro.

Eau Tour was Local Foods Group's French bistro that had been open in Rice Village for just over a year. It closed last month and the team plans to open a new restaurant in its place called Milton's, an Italian-American trattoria. They had planned to add Eau Tour menu items to their neighboring restaurant, Lee's Den.

Em's Pho serves Vietnamese food such as pho, grilled pork sandwiches, and vermicelli. The restaurant opened in late 2018. A new restaurant, Absolute Thai, is now open at its 6420 FM 1463 location in Fulshear.

Longtime Pearland restaurant Juanitos served its last Mexican meal on June 1; it was open for 34 years. In a Facebook post, the owners said they were selling the restaurant to their friends at Iguanas Ranas Cantina Pearland.

After three years in Rice Village, Gratify Neighborhood Bistro closed its doors this month. Part of Big Vibe Group, the company behind Flora and Coppa Osteria, Gratify offered classic American bistro cuisine in a white-tablecloth setting. CultureMap reported that the restaurant group was focusing on expanding its other concepts.

Harris County Smokehouse closed its new location in Katy in May. The barbecue joint has been in operation for 36 years and still has locations in northwest Houston and in Tomball. Customers can visit those locations to enjoy barbecue platters, brisket sandwiches, chicken fried steaks and other Southern dishes.

Holman Draft Hall closed its doors earlier this month after seven years in Midtown. It was an indoor/outdoor bar that offered dozens of draft beers, cocktails and bar food. The bar is owned by the Kirby Group and is set to be transformed into a new concept called Solarium.

Montrose suddenly lost its popular, dingy pizzeria in May. Love Buzz closed after 10 years for a variety of reasons, including an electrical fire, rising costs and increased competition. Owner Sam English also pointed to the lack of parking compared to newer competitors. The closure announcement sparked a flood of messages from customers sad to see a Houston classic disappear.

Nearly two years after opening in Spring Branch, Low Tide Kitchen & Bar announced its closure. The restaurant served seafood and Southern cuisine. It started as a takeout joint before being opened in 2022 by restaurateur Alli Jarrett, who owned Harold's in the Heights. Harold's also closed earlier this year.

Muse was short-lived in the River Oaks area. The sleek and modern restaurant opened in March of last year and offers international flavors, with dishes ranging from maki rolls to wood-fired steaks and seafood. A new, sleek cocktail lounge called The Kennedy is set to open there this summer.

Prego hosted its last dinner service on May 31 after 40 years in business. The long-standing Italian restaurant originally had plans to relocate within Rice Village, but then announced it was putting its plans on hold and closing the restaurant entirely. “We have decided that this is not the right time for Prego to make such a move,” the owners wrote in a Facebook post. In the comments, customers shared that they hope to see it return for a new chapter.

Space Cadet ran for about six months. Located in a renovated historic building in the Heights that was already home to many businesses, the family-friendly restaurant/bar offered a mix of local flavors, from Cajun to Tex-Mex to barbecue.

Xin Chao hit a rough patch after celebrity chef Christine Ha left the restaurant. A slow crawfish season and the May storms contributed to the restaurant's closure, chef Tony J. Nguyen said. He also closed his other restaurant, Saigon House, due to the initial crawfish shortage and price hikes. The May derecho was the final straw for Xin Chao, which had been open since 2020. The restaurant lost at least $25,000 in revenue after losing power due to the May storms.