When Haidee Villegas took over ownership of Salt & Pepper four years ago, she said she had a vision for what the restaurant could become.

“There are plenty of fast food restaurants in this area,” Villegas said. “We want Salt & Pepper to represent a different pace of eating.”

Located near the heart of historic downtown Katy, the eatery has neighboring businesses that include a slew of national chain fast food joints. Villegas saw an opportunity for a higher level of dining and decided to take the leap. She brought on Manager Elizabeth Barriguete to help bring her plans to life.

What was not part of her vision, however wast the historic flooding that occurred April 17-18 of last year. Sitting at the intersection of Avenue D and 1st Street, the restaurant was forced to close after being flooded with at least 2 feet of water.

“We really saw the community of Katy come together,” Villegas said. “People stopped by every day and brought us lunch or offered to help with the cleanup.”

Thanks to help from community members and employees, Salt & Pepper reopened only two weeks later, Barriguete said. Since then, the pair has made it a mission to work even harder at bringing fine dining to Katy.

Villegas is slowly but surely making cosmetic renovations to improve the restaurant, including building a new bar and updating the restroom decor. Although Villegas and Barriguete haven’t acquired a liquor license, Villegas said they hope to be fully operational by Mother’s Day. She said attractions that will accompany the bar include possibly implementing a margarita happy hour.

“We want to make sure that as times change, we continue to update the restaurant to ensure an upscale environment and pleasant ambiance,” Villegas said.

The Salt & Pepper menu has international dishes with a Latin touch. Specialty items include stuffed avocado chicken salad, grilled Alaskan salmon with lemon pepper sauce, a 12-ounce pork chop and savory crepes.

“We use a variety of fresh ingredients and spices that give our dishes that special Latin touch,” Barriguete said.

The restaurant also offers catering and can host up to 50 people in its private dining room. Additionally, Salt & Pepper has a weekly brunch buffet from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. Brunch items include fresh fruit, omelets, crepes and a pasta bar.

In addition to providing original recipes, Villegas and Barriguete said they are committed to serving the community.

“We are constantly working to improve our recipes every week,” Barriguete said. “Working to provide the community with our best is how we stay connected.”