Officials with the authentic Mexican Cuisine restaurant known as Arnaldo Richards' Picos Restaurant, or Picos, announced plans Jan. 8 to relocate after recent support from the public gave the franchise renewed hope in its future success.

Taking a step back

The Houston staple originally announced in August 2025 that the restaurant was preparing for an immediate closure after more than 40 years in service. Owner Arnaldo Richards did not share details on the reason for closure, but wrote a heartfelt post on social media expressing his gratitude for his customers and the sadness that came with the closure.

"After 44 wonderful years of serving this community, we have made the difficult decision to close our restaurant," the post read. "We are incredibly grateful for the privilege and opportunity to have shared our passion for food and hospitality with you. We will truly miss our daily interactions, the laughter and all the memories we’ve shared."

A month later, officials said that the restaurant would remain open until the end of 2025 after seeing a wave of support following the first closure announcement.

Latest updateNow, at the start of the new year, Richards said that he has big plans to move later this year rather than shut down the restaurant entirely.

“Our community has given us an opportunity we never thought possible,” Richards said in a Jan. 8 news release. “Thanks to them, we have gone from closing the book to writing a new chapter."

Restaurant officials said that while the site of the new locale is still to be determined, the move is anticipated to happen within the next six to eight months. In the meantime, the current location in the Upper Kirby neighborhood will remain open during the transition.

More details about the new address and reopening timeline are expected to be shared by late winter or early spring.

• Opening late 2026
• Address TBD
• www.picos.net