A recently closed Panera Bread in Conroe isn’t staying gone for long.
The bakery-café at 1302 W. Davis Street, Suite F is getting a second chance under a new operator as part of a seven-store Panera expansion across Greater Houston.
A new Texas construction filing calls for a $275,000 cosmetic renovation of the 2,100-square-foot restaurant. Planned improvements include new paint, tile, artwork, lighting, millwork, blinds and signage.
Construction is scheduled to continue through December 1, 2026.
But the bigger story isn’t what’s changing inside the restaurant.
It’s who’s taking over.
Conroe Panera Is Part of a Seven-Store Deal
The West Davis café was among several Houston-area Panera locations that recently closed or changed hands.
Rather than disappearing permanently, the Conroe restaurant is now part of Hamra Enterprises’ first expansion into Texas.
Hamra announced in August that it plans to open seven Panera Bread cafés across Greater Houston by the end of 2026, including the exact Conroe address listed in the new construction filing. See Hamra Enterprises’ Texas expansion announcement
The other locations stretch across Spring, Katy and Houston, including another café along Tomball Parkway.
That means the Conroe renovation isn’t an isolated remodel. It’s one piece of a coordinated effort to refresh and relaunch a group of Panera restaurants under new management.
A New Operator Enters Texas
Hamra Enterprises isn’t new to the restaurant business.
The company traces its history back roughly 50 years and has grown into a multi-state restaurant operator. Its portfolio includes Panera Bread along with other restaurant concepts.
Texas, however, represents new territory.
The seven Greater Houston Panera cafés mark Hamra’s entrance into the Texas market, giving the Conroe reopening a little more significance than a typical franchise ownership change. Learn more about Hamra Enterprises
And Conroe residents should see more than a simple change of ownership.
The construction filing specifically calls for cosmetic upgrades throughout the restaurant, including refreshed finishes, lighting and signage.
Similar renovation filings have appeared for other cafés included in Hamra’s Houston-area expansion, pointing to a broader refresh of the acquired locations.
We’ve Actually Seen Another Piece of This Puzzle
There’s a funny Texas Construction Media connection here.
Another Panera project we’ve been tracking at 22521 Tomball Parkway, Suite 125 carries its own renovation plans.
That address also appears on Hamra’s official list of seven Greater Houston cafés.
So the Conroe and Tomball projects we’ve uncovered separately are actually pieces of the same larger expansion strategy.
That’s something the construction filings alone don’t make obvious.
Look at them individually, and they appear to be ordinary restaurant remodels.
Put them together with Hamra’s announcement, and they reveal a new restaurant operator entering Texas through a coordinated Panera expansion.
Panera Is Changing, Too
The ownership transition comes while Panera Bread itself works through a broader transformation.
The company announced its Panera RISE strategy in late 2025, outlining plans to improve restaurant operations, strengthen its franchise system and update the customer experience. Visit Panera Bread’s newsroom
That broader strategy provides some context for what we’re seeing around Greater Houston.
Some cafés have closed or changed hands. At the same time, Panera and its franchise operators continue opening restaurants and reinvesting in selected locations.
In Conroe, that reinvestment means a café that recently went dark is preparing for another run.
When Will Conroe’s Panera Reopen?
Hamra says its seven Greater Houston cafés are expected to open by the end of 2026. The state construction schedule for the West Davis restaurant currently targets completion on December 1.
An exact reopening date for the Conroe café has not been announced.
Still, the combination of Hamra’s official announcement and the newly registered renovation provides considerably more certainty about the restaurant’s future.
What initially looked like another Panera closure is turning into something different.
A longtime restaurant operator is entering Texas. Seven Greater Houston cafés are getting another shot. And one of them is right here in Conroe.
The lights at this Panera aren’t staying off for long.