Brassica Restaurant Houston Expansion Adds Sugar Land Site

Along the Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land, past a Whole Foods anchoring one of the area's busiest retail centers, a new sign is about to go up where Paradise Grills once stood. That storefront will soon carry a name already familiar to Houston diners, as Brassica Restaurant Houston Expansion plans move forward with a second location in the Greater Houston area.

Brassica, an upscale fast-casual Eastern Mediterranean restaurant founded in Columbus, Ohio, has signed a 3,000 square foot lease at Lake Pointe Village, a Whole Foods-anchored retail center at 15820 Southwest Freeway. Further details on the brand are available through Brassica's official website. The new location will take over the space previously occupied by Paradise Grills in Suite 300, within an open-air retail center at Highway 59 and Highway 6, in the First Colony community.

Building on Early Houston Momentum

Kevin Malhame, founder and CEO of Northstar Restaurant Group and Brassica, pointed to the reception at the brand's first Houston-area restaurant as a driving factor behind the expansion. "Since opening our first Houston-area location in March, we've been blown away by the support of the community," Malhame said. "It's always been our goal to grow out of state, and we are excited to expand our footprint in the Greater Houston area." That first Houston location, at the Shoppes at San Felipe on 1413 S. Voss Road in Memorial, opened in March 2026 and marked the company's first expansion beyond Ohio. That center, notably, is also anchored by a Whole Foods, a pattern the company appears to be repeating deliberately with its Sugar Land site.

What's on the Menu

Brassica serves Eastern Mediterranean food made with organically-sourced ingredients, with a menu spanning sandwiches, salads, seasoned fries and tahini chocolate chip cookies. The restaurant setting is designed to feel warm and elegant rather than typically fast casual, and the new Sugar Land location will feature custom walnut seating, marble-topped tables, brass fixtures, wood ceilings and custom artwork in the indoor dining room, along with outdoor patio seating.

Why Sugar Land

Brassica selected the Lake Pointe Village site specifically for its proximity to a gourmet grocer, upscale retail and best-in-class independent restaurants, positioning the new location within a retail ecosystem built around quality rather than volume. Opening is planned for the first quarter of 2027.

Backed by Chipotle's Cultivate Next Fund

The expansion follows a minority investment from Chipotle's Cultivate Next fund in 2024. At the time of that investment, Nate Lawton, Chief Business Development Officer at Chipotle, explained the rationale behind backing the brand. "Investing in emerging culinary concepts that align with Chipotle's commitment to using real, fresh ingredients and making craveable food daily is consistent with our mission to Cultivate a Better World," Lawton said. "Funding from Cultivate Next's minority investment will help Brassica scale to open new locations and expand to new markets." That backing appears to be playing out directly in Brassica's current growth trajectory across Texas.

A Growing National Footprint

Founded in 2015 by brothers Kevin and Darren Malhame, with a menu inspired by the Lebanese food of their childhood, Brassica has grown to nine locations across Ohio, Houston and Indianapolis. The brand was recently recognized as a Hot Concept by National Restaurant News, a distinction that reflects its rising profile within the broader fast casual segment. As Brassica continues its expansion into new Texas markets, its growth mirrors a broader pattern across the restaurant industry, where concepts rooted in a specific culinary heritage are increasingly finding success by pairing that identity with elevated, design forward spaces, not unlike how restaurants such as La Panthera's Churchgate opening in Mumbai have leaned on distinctive design to define a new chapter for an established concept.