After 30 years in the oil and gas industry, Will Payne said he joked to his wife, Michele, about moving to Italy to open a restaurant. Around that same time, their friends Markus and Pia Klauser visited from Switzerland and shared their plans to move to Texas to open a restaurant.
The two couples decided to partner on the venture together and opened Edelweiss Restaurant in July.
Named after the Swiss national flower, the eatery serves authentic Swiss cuisine. Markus said he prepares each dish to order with fresh ingredients, and Edelweiss is the only restaurant of its kind in the Houston area.
“I think this was a good idea to bring Swiss dishes together with Texas flair,” he said.









