The business, however, has since closed due in part to what Denis called "a series of hits," including the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, the widening of Hwy. 146. It was one of many along the corridor that closed or moved away due to such challenges.
Despite this, now more than a year removed from the construction, businesses are returning. And a number of new ones, including Denis’ Pasta Margarita, are opening in an area seeing new economic activity.
While the business still has its challenges, such as ongoing work to widen the nearby frontage road, Denis said he remains optimistic about his new restaurant, which is his second one in the area.
“It doesn’t matter how far or how bad it is to get into the shopping center,” Denis said. “It’s going to be worth the trip, right?”
The impact
The $214 million Texas Department of Transportation project, which began in 2019, aimed to widen the highway from six to 12 lanes and add an expressway bridge, addressing growing traffic congestion.
However, the project led to dozens of businesses closing or relocating along and near the corridor. As a result, local officials are seeking to regain their reputation as an attractive beachside destination.
“I think Kemah historically has been ‘Austin meets Key West,’” Kemah City Administrator Cesar Garcia said. “I think ... we’ve come to realize that is our identity, and for us to own that and to market that.”
Now, an economic resurgence is slowly returning to the corridor. Stephen Ross, owner of Volcano Room in Seabrook, has a similar story to Denis and Pasta Margarita.
Ross is planning to open up his second restaurant in the area, named Coconut Grove, in October, and said he is encouraged by the uptick in traffic volume since the highway reopened.
“Everyone seems to be driving [along Hwy. 146] again, which is encouraging, since we’re about to open,” Ross said.
Coconut Grove is not an outlier. Since Hwy. 146 reopened in spring 2024, at least eight new restaurants have reopened along the corridor.
Digging deeper
Both Kemah and Seabrook are looking to bring in new businesses to open or relocate to their communities—an ambition that sometimes leads to the two cities competing for the same businesses.
Tookie’s Hamburgers, which first opened in Seabrook in 1975, was forced to relocate to Kemah due to eminent domain declared during the Hwy. 146 expansion, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
Then, in June, the Seabrook Economic Development Corp. voted to offer Tookie’s a total of $600,000 in incentives to move back to Seabrook. In July, Kemah City Council unanimously approved a $200,000 loan to help expand Tookie’s if it would remain in Kemah.
Tookie’s ultimately declined Seabrook’s offer to relocate, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
Managing the impact
In Seabrook’s fiscal year 2025-26 budget, the city proposed reestablishing its “Shop Local” program with special initiatives to help revitalize businesses that were struggling following the closure of Hwy. 146.
Both Seabrook and Kemah experienced a slight dip in sales tax revenue throughout the project’s timeline. However, city leaders remain optimistic about recapturing those losses.
“Through the end of August, we’ve actually hit a record number of sales tax that we had not hit before in the city,” Garcia said.
Garcia also alluded to upcoming efforts to launch a strategic plan for the city, aiming to unify and guide future development and maintain Kemah’s appeal as a family-friendly destination.
“People want to come back to Kemah,” Garcia said. “People feel safe coming to Kemah.”
One more thing
In addition to attracting new businesses to the area, the city of Kemah is also investing in beautifying the area along Hwy. 146—a move that aligns with city leaders’ previous statements to reestablish the city as a destination for tourists.
In August, the city approved the Kemah Beacon Project—a landmark sculpture that will be built in Joanne Blackledge Memorial Park in collaboration with the University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design, according to agenda documents.
The city hopes the sculpture will serve as a landmark for Kemah, similar to a lighthouse, that can reflect the city’s waterfront identity and brand.
