A $450,000 buildout is underway for Flying Biscuit Café's first Katy restaurant, with construction documents pointing to a 3,822-square-foot space at Mason Knolls Shopping Center, 1660 S. Mason Road.
The Atlanta-born chain's expansion into Katy is being led by Mario and Ifeoma Harper, Houston-area residents who signed a single-unit franchise agreement announced Monday, Aug. 24, according to a company press release. The couple has been eating at Flying Biscuit's Memorial City location for years.
Construction is scheduled to begin Oct. 1 and wrap up by Dec. 1, according to project documents reported by My Neighborhood News. That Dec. 1 date is a construction completion target, not an official opening date. A pending alcohol-license filing ties the address to MI Harper Katy Brunch LLC, connecting the franchise agreement to the Mason Road site.
Mario Harper, an attorney and entrepreneur with a background in supply chain and real estate, said in the Monday, Aug. 24 press release: "We chose Flying Biscuit because it's a truly special breakfast concept — those fluffy biscuits and bold, comforting flavors that people genuinely come back for. We're most excited to bring that warm, satisfying experience to Katy and make it a neighborhood favorite — a go-to spot for brunch on the weekend and breakfast the rest of the week."
Ifeoma Harper brings 25 years of commercial banking experience advising middle-market and corporate clients on capital strategy.
Filling a gap on the map
The Katy café fills a geographic hole between Flying Biscuit's existing Richmond location at Harvest Green Shopping Center and its Cypress spot on FM 1960, according to FSR Magazine. The brand already operates five Greater Houston cafés: Memorial City, East Downtown, Kingwood, Richmond and Cypress.
Nationally, Flying Biscuit has 43 locations open and 11 in development across eight states, per the Monday, Aug. 24 press release. Founded in Atlanta's Candler Park neighborhood in 1993, the chain sold out of its signature biscuits by 11 a.m. on opening day, according to the company. Each location bakes nearly 5,000 biscuits a week.
What to expect
Most Houston-area Flying Biscuit locations operate 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and until 3 p.m. on weekends. The menu runs beyond biscuits to include shrimp and grits, stuffed French toast, omelets, vegan scrambles, burgers and wraps. The company says many locations offer a full bar with mimosa flights.
Plans for the Mason Road space call for interior demolition followed by new partitions, finishes, restrooms, a kitchen, millwork, HVAC, plumbing, electrical and fire-sprinkler work.
No official grand opening date has been set. The buildout's Dec. 1 completion target puts a late 2026 or early 2027 opening within reach.
