The year 2024 saw multiple businesses close in the Bellaire, Meyerland and West University communities. This list is not comprehensive.

Turkey Leg Hut
Turkey Leg Hut has permanently closed its Third Ward restaurant. (Courtesy Turkey Leg Hut via Instagram)
Turkey Leg Hut has permanently closed its Third Ward restaurant. (Courtesy Turkey Leg Hut)


Iconic Houston restaurant Turkey Leg Hut closed in September when the Houston Health Department found 34 health code violations, owner Nakia Holmes said.

Holmes said she initially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March, which would allow Turkey Leg Hut to remain operational while paying back its debt, according to the United States Courts. However, a judge converted the Chapter 11 bankruptcy to Chapter 7 in a late-November court ruling—allowing the restaurant's landowner, CNPH Properties, to terminate its lease.
  • Closed in September
  • 4830 Almeda Road, Ste. A & B, Houston
  • Instagram: @turkeyleghut
Gratify Neighborhood Bistro
Gratify Neighborhood Bistro closed in July 2024, after three years in operation. (Courtesy Gratify Neighborhood Bistro via Facebook)
Gratify Neighborhood Bistro closed in July 2024 after three years in operation. (Courtesy Gratify Neighborhood Bistro)


Rice Village restaurant Gratify Neighborhood Bistro closed in July.


The eatery—which had a raw bar, craft cocktails and plates with charred octopus and New York strip steak—closed over the summer, when owners decided not to renew the lease. It opened in July 2021.

Gratify had been one of four Houston-area restaurants under hospitality company The Big Vibe Group.

Its other restaurants include Californian-inspired eatery Graffiti Raw; Coppa Osteria, which serves Mediterranean-inspired Italian cuisine; and Flora, a Mexican kitchen with a Texas touch—according to the group's website.Prego
After 40 years serving Italian food to diners in Rice Village with a tentative upcoming relocation, officials with Prego announced on social media that they won't be relocating. (Courtesy Prego/Facebook)
After 40 years serving Italian food to diners in Rice Village with a tentative upcoming relocation, officials with Prego announced on social media that they won't be relocating. (Courtesy Prego)


After 40 years of serving Italian food to diners in Rice Village and despite plans on relocating, Prego had its last day of service in May.


Prego offered fresh, modern Italian cuisine, including handcrafted pasta, house-cured salumi and hand-tossed pizza, according to its website.
  • Closed May 31
  • 2520 Amherst St., Houston
Big Lots
Big Lots officials said the store is closing on Nov. 29 and is clearing its items with discounts of 30%-50% off. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community impact)
Big Lots officials said the store closed on Nov. 29. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community impact)


The Big Lots location on Kirby Drive closed in November after the company announced a new wave of store closures in late September.PNC Bank

The Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank ended operations at the Rice Village branch in May. Another PNC branch located nearby can be found at 4555 Bissonnet St., Houston.Allbirds
The Rice Village location for the sustainable footwear and apparel brand Allbirds closed in 2024, two years after opening in Houston. (Courtesy Allbirds)
The Rice Village location for the sustainable footwear and apparel brand Allbirds closed in 2024, two years after opening in Houston. (Courtesy Allbirds)


International footwear and apparel brand Allbirds closed shop at 2503 Amherst St., Houston in July after opening in the summer of 2022.

Known for its simple and sustainable footwear, as well as offering ecofriendly apparel for men and women, officials with Allbirds' corporate office decided to close several of its stores in 2024.

Part of the San Francisco-based company's strategic transformation plan included closing 10-15 U.S. retail store locations in 2024, according to the company's reported fourth quarter financial results from December 2023.