Nachos are one of the menu items available at Papa’s Icehouse. The location also offers other items, such as burgers.[/caption]Richard Loughridge Sr. has more than 45 years of experience both in the restaurant business and living in The Woodlands community. And yet, when asked, it is hard for him to pinpoint the exact reason for his successful restaurant, Papa’s Icehouse.
“We just listened to what people wanted and went with the flow,” Richard said. “People would come in and drink, and they wanted something to eat. That’s when we threw in a kitchen and started serving burgers.”
He said the restaurant’s name has changed more than a dozen times—originally the eatery was called Papa Luigi’s Pizza and Hamburger Joint when it opened in 1975—but the focus has always been on the community. And for years, Richard said that has meant creating a family-oriented environment.
“We want people to have a good time,” he said. “We tell our employees this isn’t the place for home problems. Everyone is here to have a good time, and [employees] are here to help them have a good time.”
The family will soon finish its 40th year of building the Papa’s brand. The Loughridges also own a second location, Papa’s on the Lake in Conroe, and a banquet hall, the Grand Palace at Papa’s Icehouse.
Richard said running the restaurants is a lot of work.
“It’s not just serving burgers across the counter,” he said. “[There’s] a lot that goes into it behind the scene[s].”
The business is primarily operated by Richard, his wife, Nancy, and their children. He said Papa’s is not completely family-run, but everyone involved is welcomed into the tight-knit group.
Richard Loughridge Jr., who often goes by Rich, said he is 100 percent involved in the day-to-day management of their businesses, which also includes organizing events and catering services.
Richard said they often donate space to members of the community with an agreement that Papa’s will collect all the liquor sales from the bar. They have held various fundraisers, cookouts, youth leagues, private ceremonies and other community-bonding events.
The venue offers several entertainment options inside.[/caption]“We aren’t big on just giving to charity, we give back to the community,” Rich said. “If a charity wants to have an event here, we will host them.”
Richard said above all he values the memories and people he met through running the restaurant.
“People ask us, ‘Why don’t you write a book?’” Richard said. “There’s a girl who worked with us as a bartender, and she has a six-year journal of all the golf tournaments and other exciting things that have happened.”
After 46 years of living in the same house, both father and son said not many people can say they have watched The Woodlands grow from its earliest days. They are looking forward to the rise in development and population growth in the area.
“Now with Hughes Landing, the Waterway and Market Street, it’s hard to draw [people in], but there’s enough to go around,” Rich said.
