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Watami Japanese BBQ takes out Houston liquor licence for first US outpost

Watami Japanese BBQ takes out Houston liquor licence for first US outpost

Money Moves Houston, TX local

The Tokyo-born grill chain's Texas liquor licence runs to 2028, but its 2026 opening targets have passed with no confirmed launch

October 5th, 2026: Texas mixed-beverage licence issued

Overview

Updated Oct 25

Watami Japanese BBQ holds an active Texas mixed-beverage licence for 1616 Post Oak Blvd, first issued October 5, 2026 to ACN UPTOWN, LLC and running through October 4, 2028. The permit is one step toward opening; nothing in the public record shows the restaurant serving diners yet.

The schedule has slipped: What Now Houston reported in April 2025 that operator Lovam Restaurant Group targeted a first-quarter 2026 opening, and the state construction filing estimated completion on August 31, 2026. Both dates have passed without a confirmed launch. The $950,000 remodel covers 5,228 square feet and is meant for tableside grilling with A4 and A5 wagyu flown from Japan.

Why it matters

Watami's first US outpost would test premium wagyu pricing in a Galleria where Chubby Group's Wagyu House, an all-you-can-eat Japanese BBQ, opened in May 2026.

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Key Indicators

$950K
Estimated renovation cost
Privately funded remodel of the Post Oak space, per the project's TDLR filing.
5,228
Space under renovation (sq ft)
3,033 square feet on the ground floor plus a 2,195-square-foot mezzanine.
MB
Licence type
Texas mixed-beverage permit 200209130, issued October 5, 2026 to ACN UPTOWN, LLC; active through October 4, 2028.

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People Involved

Christopher Lav
Christopher Lav
Owner, Lovam Restaurant Group
Leading Watami's planned US debut

Organizations Involved

WA
Watami
Restaurant chain
Seeking its first US location

Tokyo-founded Japanese restaurant brand; in Japan its model is an all-you-can-eat buffet, and the Houston project would be its first US location.
LR
Lovam Restaurant Group
Restaurant operator
Spearheading Watami's US launch

Houston operator of Japanese and Hawaiian poke restaurants, leading the Watami project at 1616 Post Oak Blvd.
AC
ACN UPTOWN, LLC
Licence holder
Holds an active Texas mixed-beverage licence for 1616 Post Oak Blvd through October 2028

The entity named on the Texas mixed-beverage licence at 1616 Post Oak Blvd; its connection to Lovam Restaurant Group is not stated in the record.

Timeline

April 2025 October 2026

3 events Latest: October 5th, 2026 · 1 month ago

  1. Texas mixed-beverage licence issued

    Latest Regulatory

    TABC grants an MB licence to ACN UPTOWN, LLC for the Post Oak address, one step in the opening process.

  2. Liquor licence application filed with TABC

    Regulatory

    ACN UPTOWN, LLC applies for the mixed-beverage permit at 1616 Post Oak Blvd; the application is listed as pending review before the October 5 grant.

  3. Construction project registered with TDLR

    Regulatory

    Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation logs a $950,000, 5,228-square-foot restaurant remodel at 1616 Post Oak Blvd, with work to start September 30, 2025 and estimated completion August 31, 2026.

Scenarios

1

Watami Japanese BBQ opens to diners at 1616 Post Oak

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: What Now Houston and Houston hospitality trade coverage

The restaurant finishes the build-out, passes inspections, and begins tableside-grill service. A launch announcement or a working online reservation system confirms it. The project filings point toward this path, though the licence alone doesn't guarantee it.

2

Houston debut slips into 2027

Possible Resolves by Jan 15, 2027

Discussed by: Project-schedule watchers noting the gap between the reported Q1 2026 target and the 2026 licence date

Construction or permitting drags on past the year end. A report from What Now Houston or a fresh TDLR filing shows the opening target pushed into 2027, with no confirmed launch yet.

3

Watami licence lapses without an opening

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: A fallback watch on TABC records

The build-out stalls or the licence goes unused. The mixed-beverage permit lapses or is cancelled, and no media report confirms Watami ever serves customers in Houston.

Historical Context

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

late 1990s

Gyu-Kaku brings yakiniku to the US (late 1990s)

Gyu-Kaku, a Tokyo-founded yakiniku (tableside-grill Japanese BBQ) chain, opened its first US locations, betting Americans would embrace grilling meat at their own tables. It later grew to dozens of outposts across the country.

Then

The US arm expanded through franchising and became one of the best-known Japanese BBQ chains in America.

Now

It proved the yakiniku format could draw American diners, setting a template for later Japanese grill brands.

Why this matters now

Watami follows the same playbook: a Japanese grill chain transplanting its signature tableside cooking for the US market, this time at a premium price point.

October 2016

Ichiran opens in Brooklyn (2016)

The Tokyo ramen chain built its first US shop in Brooklyn, replicating its solo-dining booths and single-recipe tonkotsu ramen. Lines stretched around the block at the opening.

Then

Ichiran expanded in the US, drawing long waits at its locations.

Now

It showed a Japanese chain could charge premium prices for a faithful, authentic version of its home-market product.

Why this matters now

Like Ichiran, Watami is betting that authenticity—here, wagyu flown from Japan—can justify higher prices than American diners expect from a familiar format.

Sources

(8)
+2
Texas data portal Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation What Now Houston Aspire Post Oak LicenseCheck Ribbon Leads Beth Wolff Realtors blog Prestige Realty Pro blog