Grand Lux Cafe will close its lone Houston restaurant at the Galleria on Jan. 24, 2026, ending a 21-year run at the busy Westheimer corridor, according to the company and a restaurant manager.
A Threads user first shared news of the closure, and The Cheesecake Factory Inc., which owns Grand Lux Cafe, later confirmed the shutdown date in a statement to Chron. The restaurant, located at 5000 Westheimer Road, opened in 2004 as one of two Grand Lux locations launched that fiscal year.
“After extensive review and analysis, the company made the difficult decision to discontinue operation of our Grand Lux Cafe in Houston. Our last day of service will be Jan. 24, 2026,” the statement said. “We are working with our staff to help transition them to other opportunities, including transfers to our other concepts in the area. We have truly enjoyed being a part of the local community over the last 21 years and hope that our guests will continue to dine with us at our other restaurants in the area.”
The Houston restaurant sits directly across from The Cheesecake Factory at the Galleria and operates as a spinoff concept, offering a globally inspired menu in a large, full-service setting. Guests can order dishes ranging from chicken-fried steak to ginger beef, along with several items that also appear on The Cheesecake Factory menu.
The on-site manager declined to discuss the reasons for the closure but confirmed that employees are being given the option to transfer to other Cheesecake Factory concepts in the Houston area. The company did not announce how many workers are employed at the Houston Grand Lux Cafe.
Grand Lux Cafe traces its origins to 1999, when Cheesecake Factory founder David M. Overton opened the first location in Las Vegas. The brand later expanded to major markets including Chicago, Los Angeles, Florida and Houston. Several locations have since closed, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as the company adjusted its portfolio.
The planned closure of Grand Lux Cafe in Houston coincides with broader changes at the Galleria-area dining and retail district. Eataly, the international chain of Italian marketplaces, is scheduled to begin construction on a 20,000-square-foot space nearby in 2025, around the same time Grand Lux ends service. Project details for Eataly include multiple restaurant counters, grocery sections and retail areas dedicated to Italian food and products.
The Cheesecake Factory Inc. continues to operate other brands in the Houston region. The Henry, a concept under the same corporate umbrella, recently opened at Town & Country Village in West Houston, adding to the company’s local footprint alongside existing Cheesecake Factory restaurants.
The company has not announced any replacement tenant for the Grand Lux Cafe space at 5000 Westheimer or whether another of its concepts will eventually occupy the site.
