Seven Houston-area Panera Bread bakery-cafés that abruptly went dark during a franchisee collapse last summer are expected to flip the lights back on under new ownership this summer, with the first reopenings targeted for July. The comeback stretches from Spring to Katy and restores a familiar option for morning coffee and lunch that many neighborhoods have been missing for months. Local workers who lost shifts when the doors closed could soon be back on the schedule.
In a statement to Fast Company, Hamra Enterprises CEO Mike Hamra said, "Hamra plans to open seven Panera Bread bakery-cafes in Texas, beginning with Spring and Katy in July 2026, creating around 280 jobs." According to Fast Company, Hamra purchased the seven restaurants in a November 2025 bankruptcy sale, and the locations will continue operating under the Panera banner. The company told the outlet it will bring each café up to brand standards before reopening to the public.
The cafés have been closed since August 2025 after their operator, EYM Café, became embroiled in legal trouble with Panera. A federal judge ordered EYM to stop using Panera's trademarks, QSR Magazine reported. EYM then filed for Chapter 11, and dozens of Houston-area locations were shuttered, according to local reporting by FOX 26 Houston. The litigation and bankruptcy created the unusual spectacle of fully branded cafés sitting dark while franchise rights and assets wound through the courts.
Which Locations Are Reopening
Hamra confirmed it will reopen seven former EYM Panera sites: 3548 Rayford Road, Spring, TX 77386; 25546 Kingsland Boulevard, Katy, TX 77494; 12220 FM West 1960 W, Houston, TX 77065; 19506 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77094; 22521 Tomball Parkway, Suite 125, Houston, TX 77070; 1302 West Davis, Suite F, Conroe, TX 77304; and 13704 Northwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77065. Fast Company published the full list after Hamra confirmed the acquisitions.
Hamra's Track Record And Scale
Hamra Enterprises is a family-owned restaurant operator that runs Panera, Wendy's, Noodles & Company and Caribou Coffee locations and has grown through acquisitions, according to the company's website. The operator says it oversees hundreds of restaurants across multiple states and has recently expanded its Panera portfolio through additional purchases. That existing scale and experience, the company says, should help it move quickly on reopening and rehiring in the Houston area.
What It Means For Customers And Workers
For customers, the reopenings restore neighborhood bakery-cafés in areas that lost bread, coffee and catering services last year. Panera has been reshaping its national footprint as part of a broader transformation effort, and the company says it is modernizing operations while still increasing its overall café count, according to a Panera press release. For local employees, Hamra's plan to staff up the seven sites suggests that many of the roles lost when the cafés closed could return this summer.
Legal And Community Aftermath
The EYM dispute left employees, landlords and regular customers in limbo. The federal injunction that forced the closures included orders to remove Panera branding and placed restrictions on the operator, QSR Magazine reported. The subsequent bankruptcy sale shifted assets into new hands and opened the door for buyers like Hamra to bring the cafés back. Community leaders and former staff are now watching Hamra's timeline for specific reopening dates and hiring details as the summer approaches.
