Pappasito's is closing its original Houston restaurant after 43 years
Pappas Restaurants will close the first Pappasito's Cantina on September 13. The restaurant operates at Richmond Avenue and Hillcroft in southwest Houston. It opened in 1983 under brothers Harris, Greg and Chris Pappas. Employees call it Sito's #1. It became the flagship of a Tex-Mex chain that now operates across Texas and in other states.
The company said the decision reflects the location's long-term outlook, not an immediate operational problem. It said every employee has been offered a position at another Pappas restaurant. It is directing regulars to Little Pappasito's on Kirby Drive in the Upper Kirby district. The restaurant took part in Pappas Restaurant Weeks through September 6 as a send-off.
| Location | Metro | Opened | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX (Richmond Ave. at Hillcroft) | Houston | 1983 | Sep 13, 2026 |
Pappas Restaurants is a private Houston company. This is a single-location decision, not a closure program.
These records are part of the week of September 5, 2026 file. That file holds 221 restaurant and food service closure records nationwide. Street addresses, sources, and the full weekly file are available to subscribers.
Records as of September 8, 2026. A brief is an edition of record: corrections are published forward, not by changing this page. If cited: Store Closure Watch (storeclosurewatch.com).