Beloved Restaurant Closes
A beloved restaurant closes in The Heights as White Oak transforms into a party zone
After two-and-a-half years of struggling with hordes of revelers along White Oak Drive, D'Amico's has decided to throw in the towel at its Heights cafe.
"We're honestly a little melancholy about closing in The Heights," owner and founder Nash D'Amico tells CultureMap.
"When we opened, White Oak was still more of a sleepy thoroughfare. We had high hopes from the start, but the area's become an entertainment district, which doesn't work for our casual family atmosphere we have. It may have been a bit of a battle for our regulars with kids."
The popular Italian restaurant will remain open on Morningside in Rice Village and plans to launch a new location in Cinco Ranch at the swanky LaCenterra development.
"(It's) become an entertainment district, which doesn't work for our casual family atmosphere."
D'Amico — who's been in the biz for more than three decades — suspects the more family-friendly Katy area will be a perfect match for the Cinco Ranch D'Amico's, which is slated to open this fall.
"The new cafe has a 100-foot frontage along a huge amphitheater," D'Amico says. "There are regular performances planned and we'll have some of the best seats in the house."
Along with business partner HUSA Management (Baker St. Pub & Grill, Local Pour), D'Amico's Italian Market Cafe is exploring potential expansion opportunities in The Woodlands, Memorial and Sugar Land.