Ohio-based Donatos Pizza is officially making a play for the Houston market, starting in Humble. The chain has filed a commercial permit for what would be its first Houston-area restaurant, a 1,730-square-foot buildout at 15906 Woodland Hills Drive. Construction is listed to kick off at the end of June and wrap by late November 2026, signaling a methodical rollout as the brand eyes a bigger slice of Texas.
According to Houston Chronicle reporting on state construction records, the permit is recorded with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Donatos has previously said that multiple development groups are zeroing in on Houston, with a company press release noting three active franchise groups working on locations in the area, an announcement appearing on PR Newswire. It is not yet clear which franchise group is behind the Humble restaurant or whether the publicly listed timeline will stick.
The brand already has a modest Texas footprint. Donatos first showed up in Frisco, then added a Flower Mound location. Local directories list another storefront in Allen at 1259 N Alma Drive, pointing to three active Texas locations ahead of the Houston expansion. Local reporting and business listings remain the most concrete public confirmation of those openings.
What the filings show
The Humble permit outlines a compact, fast-casual style restaurant, with a contractor schedule that targets a late June start and November completion, according to state filings reviewed by the Houston Chronicle. The paper notes that these dates function as planning goals rather than firm opening days, so anyone dreaming of their first Humble Donatos slice should be ready for some wiggle room as construction details settle.
If the schedule holds, the Humble restaurant would join the existing Frisco, Flower Mound and Allen locations as Donatos slowly builds up its presence in the Lone Star State.
Donatos' Texas ambitions
Donatos has not been shy about its Texas game plan. The company has talked about wanting to become a "household name in the Lone Star State" and is aiming to open more than 100 Texas locations over the next several years, according to company statements and coverage on PR Newswire. Recent franchise announcements highlight three development groups focused specifically on the Houston area and suggest two or three openings could land this year, although the Humble construction schedule might push some doors-open dates further out.
Donatos did not immediately respond to requests for comment, so for now, local permits and franchise notices are the clearest public signals of what is coming. We will keep an eye on state filings and neighborhood announcements for a confirmed opening date and will update when the company makes it official.
