Josephine’s Restaurant & Lounge is getting ready to set up shop on Homestead Road in Houston’s East Little York/Woodland Acres area, with buildout already underway at 11110 Homestead Road. Led by operator Codey Hawthorne, the project will turn a former retail spot into a full-service restaurant and lounge. Construction is slated to wrap in early September, and Hawthorne has said the team is aiming to welcome diners before fall is over.
Permit records show timeline and scale
According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the Architectural Barriers filing for project TABS2026023395 describes the work as a "Retail to Restaurant & Lounge" conversion at 11110 Homestead Road, with a registration date of June 20, 2026. The state listing notes a July 6 start, a projected completion date of September 7, an estimated construction cost of $192,900 and a 2,608-square-foot conversion within a 4,417-square-foot footprint. The permit lists CC Homes Inc. as the owner, names Codey C. Hawthorne as the contact and shows the status as "Project Registered" on the state portal.
Operator confirms fall target
WhatNow reported that Hawthorne briefly spoke with one of its regional reporters and said he expects the Homestead Road spot to open before the end of this fall. As noted by WhatNow, the July 10 article highlighted the permit filing and confirmed that construction is already in progress at the site. The outlet also reported that Hawthorne was not ready to share additional details by publication time and reiterated the same construction timeline and cost figures listed in the state filing.
Not obviously tied to Midtown Josephine's
Houston already has a Josephine’s on the map: Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition in Midtown, known for Gulf seafood staples like oysters, po'boys and shrimp étouffée. That restaurant lists its address as 318 Gray Street and posts menus on its website. Public records for the Homestead Road project show a different owner and contact information, and there is no immediate public filing that links the two operations. The story will be updated if any ownership or branding connection is confirmed.
What this adds to the neighborhood
The Homestead address appears in local property records as part of the East Little York–Homestead area, often grouped under Woodland Acres. Realtor.com maps 11110 Homestead Road to Woodland Acres and places the parcel within that neighborhood. If the buildout does open as a full-service restaurant and lounge, it will bring another sit-down option to Homestead Road, which currently mixes residential lots with smaller commercial properties. Neighbors can expect the usual rounds of municipal inspections and licensing before a final opening date is locked in.
For now, the state permit details and Hawthorne’s brief comments offer the clearest public picture of Josephine’s Restaurant & Lounge and its planned Homestead Road debut. Licenses, menus and a firm opening date are still to come, and this item will be updated as those pieces fall into place.
