THE 'BUCKS STOP HERE

1 Houston-area Starbucks to shutter among 250 nationwide

The Tanger Outlets Houston Starbucks will have its final day of operation on September 26.

Photo by ANKUR MADAN on Unsplash

Starbucks is closing a Houston-area location this week as part of a broader plan to shutter 250 underperforming stores across North America, the company says.

In a September 24 press release, chief operating officer Mike Grams revealed Starbucks would close the coffee shops where the company doesn't "see a path to acceptable financial performance" or locations where the company doesn't believe can "consistently deliver the experience [they] want" for customers and employees.

The Seattle-based coffee chain operates more than 40,000 coffee shops globally, and over 18,000 in North America. The recent closings make up about 1 percent of the total stores operating in North America alone.

Starbucks has not publicly released a list of the locations that will be closing, but an online list has been confirmed by CultureMap's content partner KVUE.

The Tanger Outlets Houston Starbucks at 5885 Gulf Freeway in Texas City is included in the list of closures. The Starbucks store locator indicates affected stores will be closed after Saturday, September 26.

Grams says the company is speaking directly with affected employees and will transfer them to other stores whenever possible. Employees who cannot secure transfers will receive severance support.

Other Starbucks locations in Texas that are set to close include:

Snider Plaza – 6733 Hillcrest Ave., Dallas, 75205
Preston & Alexis – 14760 Preston Rd., Dallas, 75254
6115 Camp Bowie – 6115 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, 76116
Hwy 59 & Miller St. – 202 Loop 59 N., Atlanta, 75551
Loop 360 & Westlake – 3801 N. Capital Of Texas Hwy., Austin, 78746
SR 71 & US 290 – 7015 W. U.S. Hwy. 290, Austin, 78736
N. Bell & 1431 – 1109 N. Bell Blvd., Cedar Park, 78613
S. Home St. & FM 942 – 609 S. Home St., Corrigan, 75939
Main St. & TX-361 – 2975 Main St., Ingleside, 78362
College & 9th – 812 College Ave., Levelland, 79336
Murphy & Blackburn – 6600 Murphy Rd., Sachse, 75048
Wurzbach Rd. & Gardendale St. – 8746 Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, 78240
FM 544 & Hwy 78 – 410 Highway 78, Wylie, 75098

"Every year we close some coffeehouses and open others as part of managing our portfolio," Grams says in the release. "And as we shared previously, we remain excited about the significant long-term growth opportunity ahead in North America."

In May, Starbucks said it would close some U.S. offices, including one in Dallas, and would lay off 300 corporate employees and as part of its ongoing turnaround.

Starbucks has been trying to reduce costs and complexity under Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company in 2024. Last year, the company laid off 2,000 corporate employees and closed hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Niccol said last spring that the simplified structure would help the company innovate more quickly.

---

This story contains material from the Associated Press.

starbucks closings coffee shop houston

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.

anderson