Some local eateries open, but restaurant development led by chains

Restaurant growth has been strong in the Cy-Fair area, especially at several new retail developments that have filled up quickly over the past year. Although several locally owned eateries opened in the past 12 months to fanfare, including Churrascos, Black’s Market Table and Marvino’s Italian Kitchen, much of the restaurant growth has been achieved by bringing in chain restaurants and snack venues.

Franchises that have made moves in Cy-Fair include Chipotle, which opened new locations on Beltway 8 in the West Eight Shopping Center as well as along Hwy. 290; Subway, with new locations on FM 529 and Fry Road; and Dunkin Donuts, which has stores on Spring Cypress, Barker Cypress and Louetta roads.

Whataburger, Starbucks, Bahama Buck’s, Salata and Jimmy John’s have all opened multiple locations in Cy-Fair within the past two years, with activity spanning from the Copperfield area to Fairfield to development around The Vintage near Hwy. 249.

Randy Corson, vice president of residential development with Mischer, said all the dining options that have opened at the Shops at Cypress Creek Lakes are chosen because they fit well within the Cypress Creek Lakes environment.New tenants at the Mischer development include chains, such as Subway, U-Swirl Frozen Yogurt and Smoothie King, as well as the locally owned North Harbor Bistro.

“This is what the market demands, and we want to give the market what it demands,” he said.

Paul Robey, a 25-year resident of the Cypress area, said he is glad to see new dining options in his area and thinks it is only a matter of time before more upscale and non-chain options come in. He emphasized that certain chains are always going to appeal to certain people.

“We love our Whataburgers, are not too keen on McDonald’s, and feel slighted that Pappadeaux’s and Pappasito’s haven’t made their way out to Fairfield yet,” he said.

Although residents still patronize chain restaurants, the demand for local options has been made clear, said Calvin Fudge, a Lakeland Heights resident in Bridgeland. Residents often cite Vintage Park and The Woodlands as examples of the type of development they would like to see, he said.

“We wouldn’t want to see anything like what has happened on Hwy. 6, the indiscriminate strip centers with no sense of community,” he said.

Continuing to set an example, Vintage Park has seen several locally owned restaurant tenants open within the past few years, including Donafe’s Café, Allo French Rotisserie and Facon Brazilian Steakhouse. The chains that do make it in are carefully selected, developers said.