on the rise

Love Croissants opens first stand-alone bakery with Heights drive-through

A growing Houston croissant bakery will finally have a permanent home. Love Croissants will open its first stand-alone location in the Heights this Thursday, October 1.

Located just off Durham Dr. at 801 W. 16th St., the new Love Croissants location is the latest opening from Omar Pereney, the veteran Houston chef and restaurant consultant who assumed control of Weights + Measures earlier this year and opened Petit Lucie, a French-inspired cafe, in Market Square Park this May. The opening builds on the success of Love Croissant’s original location at Weights + Measures as well as its wholesale business that supplies pastries to more than 60 coffee shops across the Houston area.

Of course, diners will find Love Croissants’ full menu that includes classics such as a butter croissant and pain au chocolat as well as heartier fare like turkey with goat cheese and jalapeno beef sausage with cheddar. It also offers croissant pastries such as the berry lime crumble tart and the strawberry guava tart.

The Heights location will expand these offerings with a new line of croissant-based sandwiches. Choices include a breakfast croissant (scrambled eggs, cheddar, onion jam, spicy aioli, and arugula), the turkey avocado club (Bar-A-BBQ smoked turkey, avocado, gouda, honey mustard, and arugula); and a PB&J made with strawberry jelly.

Pereney worked with Houston’s Gin Design Group to create the interior of the tidy, 1,500-square-foot space. Designed primarily for to-go orders — either via walk-in or its drive-through lane — the cafe only offers eight seats across four tables.

The drive-through lane will also allow Love Croissants to stay open until midnight on Friday and Saturday to satisfy late-night croissant cravings. Regular hours will be 6:30 am-7 pm.

“Love Croissants has always been about creating moments of joy through pastries and hospitality,” Pereney said in a statement. “This new space gives us the opportunity to build on what people already love about the concept while introducing something new and creating a place that feels approachable, welcoming and connected to the Heights.”

Love Croissants will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, October 10. Follow it on social media for more details.

Photo by Mariela Callaway

Love Croissants is known for its flaky, buttery pastries.

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Domo Arigato

Award-winning Texas ramen shop sets opening date for Meyerland location

Courtesy of Ramen Tatsu-ya

Ramen Tatsu-ya's Meyerland location opens on Saturday, October 31.

Houstonians had to wait seven years for a second location of Ramen Tatsu-ya, but the Austin-based restaurant’s third Houston outpost is coming much more quickly.

The restaurant’s Meyerland location will open on Saturday, October 31, in the former Boston Market location at 4672 Beechnut St.

Known for its signature tonkotsu broth, which takes up to three days to prepare, chefs Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto opened the original Ramen Tatsu-ya in 2012. It quickly earned wide acclaim, including a spot on Bon Appetit’s list of America’s Best New Restaurants of 2013.

Since then, the restaurant has grown to six locations in Austin and two in Houston — a Montrose store that opened in 2017 and a Town & Country outpost that debuted in December 2025. More could be on the way.

“There's certainly room and good trade area dynamics to support more Ramen Tatsu-Ya locations in Houston,” CEO Todd Coerver writes in an email. “I have no magic number or timeline in mind for such growth. A lot will depend on the performance of the newer locations we are opening in Houston. Community reaction will dictate the answer to how many, how fast.”

In addition to its noodles, Ramen Tatsu-ya also serves small plates such as its signature Sweet and Sour Yodas (aka, Brussels sprouts), karaage, and gyoza. They can be paired with a full range of drinks, including beer, sake, frozens, and non-alcoholic sips such as lemongrass-cucumber limeade and strawberry-yuzu lemonade.

The company operates three other concepts: Domo Alley-Gato Tatsu-Ya, a casual patio bar; Tiki Tatsu-Ya, a tiki bar and restaurant; and Kemuri Tatsu-Ya, a Texas-inspired izakaya that holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. Could they be headed to Houston, too?

“I wouldn't rule out the possibility for a version of Kemuri to expand to Houston one day. But we are really just focused on Ramen Tatsu-Ya at the moment,” he writes.

Ramen Tatsu-ya will celebrate its Bellaire grand opening with free t-shirts for the 25 customers, the chance to win free ramen for a year, a free popsicle with purchase for anyone in costume, and a DJ set from 6-8 pm. It will also give out treats to trick-or-treaters.

“We’re excited to bring a new location to the Bellaire area,” Coerver added in a statement. “And having our grand opening on Halloween gives us a chance to really ratchet up the fun!”

Ramen Tatsu-ya is only the latest addition to the Bellaire/Meyerland area. The second location of Tex-Mex restaurant Candente opened in late 2025. Pudgy’s Fine Cookies and Underground Creamery will open their second location across the street from Ramen Tatsu-ya this Sunday, October 25.

Courtesy of Ramen Tatsu-ya

Ramen Tatsu-ya's Meyerland location opens on Saturday, October 31.