Panjaz, one of San Antonio's few Panamanian restaurants, is plotting a July comeback at 17510 Judson Road after a spring hiatus. The relaunch is the latest twist from chef Shaunda Hopkins, who has spent the past decade shifting the concept between delivery, catering, a food-hall outpost and even a gas-station counter. Regulars know Panjaz for its banana-leaf tamales and other Panamanian staples that are still rare in a city dominated by Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites.
As reported by CultureMap San Antonio, the restaurant announced its return on Instagram, teasing a July reopening and urging followers to stay tuned for more details. CultureMap's June 8 story cast the move as the latest chapter in Hopkins' on-again, off-again run with the Panjaz brand.
From Delivery Hustle to Food Hall and Gas-Station Counter
Hopkins first launched Panjaz as a meal-delivery operation and later turned it into a catering business, according to the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. In 2021, she took the plunge into a brick-and-mortar setup with a stall at Lombrano Food Hall, and in 2023 she operated a full-service counter inside a convenience store at 5115 Thousand Oaks, details chronicled in local reporting at MySA.
What's (Likely) on the Menu
Panjaz has long mixed Panamanian standards like ropa vieja, patacones and arroz con pollo with Hopkins' signature banana-leaf tamales. The business's Square page also lists empanadas and carimañolas, and CultureMap noted that the restaurant's Instagram has been talking up sancocho in recent posts. Taken together, those clues offer a pretty good preview of what might reappear when the doors open again.
Where the Judson Road Spot Fits In
The 17510 Judson Road address sits inside a recently built convenience-store development that was completed as a 7-Eleven with a Laredo Taco Company concept, according to a Creighton Development project post. CultureMap did not specify whether Panjaz will have its own dedicated space or share a counter within existing retail there, and the restaurant has not released a detailed grand-opening schedule beyond the July window.
For now, Panjaz fans are stuck in wait-and-refresh mode. Hopkins has typically used social channels and the restaurant's website to announce openings and special orders, so the first firm date and full menu are likely to drop there. Keep an eye on the restaurant's Instagram and Square page as July approaches.
