Panera Bread's Katy Freeway location reopens Wednesday, Oct. 21, giving the first 100 dine-in customers a certificate for a free meal once a month for a year.

The restaurant near Fry Road on Interstate 10 will open its doors at 6 a.m., according to My Neighborhood News. The grand opening promotion runs from 6 to 10 a.m. while supplies last. Customers must make a dine-in purchase to qualify for the You Pick Two certificate, which allows holders to pair two soups, salads or sandwiches once per month for 12 months at no extra cost.

The reopening completes the return of both Katy-area Panera locations that closed in August 2025. The Kingsland Boulevard restaurant at 25546 Kingsland Blvd. reopened Aug. 5 with the same giveaway promotion, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks from Hamra Enterprises CEO Mike Hamra and Katy Mayor Dusty Thiele, according to the Katy Times. Members of the Katy High School cheer team also attended.

Both cafés were among 15 Greater Houston Panera locations shuttered after former franchise operator EYM Café of Texas LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Aug. 2, 2025. EYM reported liabilities between $10 million and $50 million and assets of less than $50,000, My Neighborhood News reported.

Before the filing, Panera LLC had terminated its franchise relationship with EYM over allegations of unpaid royalties, food safety problems and unauthorized use of the Panera brand.

Hamra Enterprises, a family-owned restaurant operator based in Springfield, Missouri, acquired seven of the closed Houston-area locations through a November 2025 bankruptcy sale, according to the company's website. The company has operated Panera franchises for nearly three decades and runs 88 cafés across eight states. It also manages Wendy's and Noodles & Company restaurants.

"We are here to serve, we are here to give back, and we are here to stay," Hamra said at the Kingsland Boulevard grand opening in August.

Hamra's Texas expansion spans seven locations across Katy, Houston, Spring and Conroe. The company has said it expects to complete all openings by the end of 2026, creating about 280 jobs across Greater Houston.

The Katy Freeway café is at 19506 Katy Freeway, Houston, near Exit 747A at Fry Road. Doors open at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21.