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Honest Mary's receives Texas alcohol permit for Gessner Road location

Honest Mary's receives Texas alcohol permit for Gessner Road location

New Capabilities Houston, TX local

Austin-based bowl chain's planned second Houston outpost at the Greenside development

October 23rd, 2026: Texas ABC issues alcohol licence to Honest Mary's for Gessner site

Overview

Updated Oct 26

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission records list a licence issued to Honest Marys Inc. for 1085 Gessner Road Ste 210, where the Austin chain plans its second Houston restaurant. The licence is one of several approvals a restaurant needs before it can serve customers.

A state licensing filing describes the work as a 2,355-square-foot renovation of Suite 210, budgeted at about $904,000. Construction was scheduled to finish August 31, 2026, and no final inspection appears on the record. Honest Mary's opened its first Houston restaurant in the River Oaks Shopping Center in December 2025 and is among the first tenants named at Greenside, MetroNational and Radom Capital's redevelopment of a former warehouse near Memorial City Mall.

Why it matters

The alcohol permit authorizes drink service at Honest Mary's planned second Houston location, part of Greenside's new dining and wellness hub in Memorial.

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Key Indicators

2
Houston locations
The Gessner Road licence covers Honest Mary's second Houston restaurant; the first opened in the River Oaks Shopping Center in December 2025.
4
Austin-area locations
The chain had four Austin-area restaurants, including Cedar Park, when it announced the Houston expansion in early 2026.
1
Texas alcohol permit issued
Texas ABC records list a licence issued to Honest Marys Inc. on October 23, 2026.
$904K
Buildout estimate
State licensing filing for the 2,355-square-foot renovation of Suite 210 at 1085 Gessner Road.

Voices

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People Involved

NM
Nelson Monteith
Chief executive and co-founder, Honest Mary's
Leading the chain's Houston expansion
 Andrew Wiseheart
Andrew Wiseheart
Chief operating officer and co-owner, Honest Mary's
Overseeing operations and expansion
MM
Mary Monteith
Co-founder, Honest Mary's
Co-founder; the chain is named for her

Organizations Involved

Honest Mary's
Honest Mary's
Fast-casual restaurant chain
Expanding from Austin into Houston

Austin-based fast-casual chain known for made-from-scratch grain bowls and build-your-own bowl options.
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
State regulator
Issued the October 23 permit

Texas agency that licenses and regulates the sale of alcoholic beverages.
GM
Greenside (MetroNational / Radom Capital)
Real estate development
Under construction in West Houston

An adaptive-reuse development at 1085 Gessner Road combining restaurants, retail, wellness and office space.

Timeline

2017 October 2026

5 events Latest: October 23rd, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Texas ABC issues alcohol licence to Honest Mary's for Gessner site

    Latest Regulatory

    The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission issues a licence to Honest Marys Inc. for 1085 Gessner Road Ste 210.

  2. Honest Mary's files Gessner Road buildout with state licensing department

    Filing

    Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records a 2,355-square-foot renovation of Suite 210 at 1085 Gessner Road, estimated at $904,000, with construction scheduled to finish August 31, 2026.

  3. Greenside developers reveal Honest Mary's in first tenant lineup

    Announcement

    MetroNational and Radom Capital name Honest Mary's among initial tenants planned for the Gessner Road development.

  4. Honest Mary's opens first Houston location in River Oaks

    Opening

    The chain enters Houston with a restaurant in the River Oaks Shopping Center in December 2025; a second location is later announced for Greenside.

  5. Honest Mary's founded in Austin

    Milestone

    Nelson and Mary Monteith open the first Honest Mary's location in Austin's Arboretum area.

Scenarios

1

Honest Mary's Gessner location opens as planned

Likely Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Greenside developers' announcements and Honest Mary's own statements

The alcohol permit is one of several approvals a restaurant needs before opening. If the buildout with Cedar Street Creative stays on track, Honest Mary's will begin serving bowls and drinks at 1085 Gessner Road Ste 210 in late 2026 or early 2027, matching the announced fall 2026 target.

2

Gessner opening slips into 2027

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: What Now Houston reporting on construction timelines

Restaurant buildouts commonly run late. If construction or permitting drags, the opening moves past the fall 2026 target into 2027 while the permit stays valid. The location would eventually open, just later than originally announced.

3

Gessner location never opens

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: General restaurant-industry failure patterns, not specific analysts

Some announced restaurant spaces never launch; the permit could go unused and the lease lapse. This is less common than a delay but happens when financing, leasing or construction issues derail a project.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

mid-2000s–2010s

Torchy's Tacos' Austin-to-Houston expansion (2006–2010s)

Torchy's Tacos, founded in Austin in 2006, grew from a single trailer into a fast-casual chain across Texas. It entered Houston in the 2010s and eventually had numerous locations in the metro.

Then

Torchy's became a staple of Houston's casual dining scene with multiple city locations.

Now

It proved Austin-based fast-casual concepts could replicate successfully in Houston's larger market.

Why this matters now

Honest Mary's is following the same playbook: an Austin-born fast-casual brand opening multiple Houston locations, including at a development where Torchy's is already a tenant.

2020s

Sweetgreen's Texas market entry (2020s)

Sweetgreen, a US salad and grain-bowl chain, moved into Texas in the 2020s as part of its national expansion, opening locations in several of the state's major cities.

Then

The chain brought health-focused fast-casual bowls to new Texas neighborhoods.

Now

Its entry signaled growing demand for clean-ingredient fast food in Texas cities.

Why this matters now

Like Sweetgreen, Honest Mary's is betting that Houston residents want quick, made-from-scratch bowls, and is building multiple locations to capture that demand.

Sources

(6)
Texas Open Data Portal What Now Houston MetroNational / Radom Capital Honest Mary's EIN Presswire Zabalist