Friendly Fire, a growing European esports café brand, plans to open multiple locations in Houston, aiming to create an entertainment-focused gaming experience for both serious and casual players. The first Houston venue is expected to open by the end of 2026, though specific locations have not yet been announced.
The expansion into Houston marks Friendly Fire’s first U.S. location as part of a broader franchising strategy. According to Houston Business Journal, the company is considering five sites in the city.
What Friendly Fire Offers Houston
Friendly Fire bills itself as a mashup of gaming café and competitive arena, featuring high-end PCs, scheduled leagues, booking software and a customer app that handles reservations and rewards. The company highlights regular tournaments, prize pools and community-focused events as core attractions meant to pull in both hardcore players and organizers. The brand traces its origins to Zagreb and presents franchising as the engine behind its international rollout, with details laid out on Friendly Fire's website.
Perkz, Franchising And The U.S. Push
Friendly Fire’s expansion comes as it boosts its profile with big-name talent. League of Legends standout Luka “Perkz” Perković recently joined the ownership group and will serve as a brand ambassador and strategic adviser. “I'm thrilled to be joining Friendly Fire at such an exciting moment in the brand's journey,” Perkz said in a statement to Franchising.com. That profile also notes that the company only recently launched franchising and has already expanded into several European markets and Mexico.
Where In Houston?
The Houston Business Journal report did not list any neighborhoods or specific addresses, and Friendly Fire’s corporate locations page does not yet show Houston sites. For now, where those five cafés land is an open question. That likely means landlords, retail brokers and local district planners will be the first to leak any clues. Until building permits are filed or leases are announced, any neighborhood-level impact is still guesswork.
In the meantime, expect the usual indicators of a new player moving into town, such as job postings, commercial listings and permit activity, as Friendly Fire moves from planning to buildout. This story will be updated as lease deals, permit filings or an opening date are made public.
