Houston Restaurants Shuttered by Winter Storm

Icy weather forces many eateries to close, costing them crucial weekend business.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 11:39am

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The winter storm that hit Houston over the weekend forced many local restaurants to close, resulting in significant lost revenue. Owners of establishments like Hugo's, Brennan's of Houston, and Craft Pita reported having to shut down on Sunday, traditionally one of the busiest days of the week. While some restaurants like Kenny & Ziggy's fared better with strong delivery orders, others estimated losing 75% or more of their weekly sales due to the closures.

Why it matters

Restaurants in Houston have already been struggling with higher costs, slowing customer traffic, and an uncertain economy. The weekend storm represents another major setback, coming at a time when many were hoping to bounce back. The closures highlight the vulnerability of the restaurant industry to external shocks and the importance of weather preparedness for small businesses.

The details

Many Houston restaurants, including Hugo's, Caracol, Urbe, Xochi, and Zaranda, decided to close preemptively on Sunday due to the uncertainty around how bad the storm would be. This meant they missed out on the lucrative Sunday brunch rush, which is typically the biggest daytime crowd of the week. Other restaurants like Queen Bee's Tea Room estimated losing 75% of their weekly revenue by closing for both Saturday and Sunday. Some, like Craft Pita, tried to offset losses by selling 'hunker down kits' but only made about 10-15% of their normal Sunday sales. Not all restaurants suffered deeply, however, as Jewish deli Kenny & Ziggy's saw strong delivery orders throughout the weekend.

  • The winter storm hit Houston over the weekend of January 27-29, 2026.
  • Many restaurants decided to close on Sunday, January 29th, 2026.

The players

Tracy Vaught

Owner of H-Town Restaurant Group, which operates five restaurants including Hugo's, Caracol, Urbe, Xochi, and Zaranda.

Hugo Ortega

James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner of H-Town Restaurant Group with Tracy Vaught.

Kristy Jhaver

Owner of Queen Bee's Tea Room, a new afternoon tea spot that opened in the Heights in October 2025.

Rafael Nasr

Owner of Craft Pita restaurant.

Ziggy Gruber

Owner of Jewish deli Kenny & Ziggy's.

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What they’re saying

“It's just awful.”

— Tracy Vaught, Owner, H-Town Restaurant Group

“We didn't pay for food that wasn't going to get sold and thrown out. So I mean, it's a trade off, right? We were able to get ahead of it and minimize the money that we might be losing. And ultimately, again, you can't put a price on people's safety.”

— Kristy Jhaver, Owner, Queen Bee's Tea Room

“Go to your local restaurant, buy takeout, put it in your fridge. We're all gonna have a really bad week, and this stuff really affects our bottom line.”

— Rafael Nasr, Owner, Craft Pita

“I guess we dodged a bullet or whatever. I'm very grateful that we didn't get hurt as bad as it could be.”

— Ziggy Gruber, Owner, Kenny & Ziggy's

“Can we please do some of these on Mondays and Tuesdays?”

— Alex Brennan-Martin, Proprietor, Brennan's of Houston

What’s next

Restaurants in Houston will be closely watching the weather forecast for the upcoming weekend, as another freeze is projected that could further impact their business.

The takeaway

The winter storm's impact on Houston's restaurants underscores the industry's vulnerability to external shocks and the importance of weather preparedness for small businesses. While some eateries found ways to offset losses, the weekend closures resulted in significant lost revenue at a time when many were still recovering from the pandemic and other economic challenges.