A 5,000-square-foot property in the Heights neighborhood of Houston has sat vacant for the better part of three years. And while the property is empty, resentment and bitter memories still linger over what happened at 1115 E. 11th St.

Andy’s Home Cafe opened at the East 11th Street address in 1977. The Tex-Mex restaurant operated there for decades until things turned sour in 2023. Andy’s owner Thomas Morales told Chron that real estate developer Wolf Capital Partners, which owned the neighboring lot, had blocked off access to parking and the use of the easement behind the building.

Eventually, the Morales family put the property up for sale and relocated Andy’s Home Cafe to Houston’s Northside neighborhood. After Andy’s vacated, Magnol French Baking announced plans to add a second location at the 11th Street address.

However, three years later, nothing has happened. Last week, the East 11th Street vacant lot came up in a discussion on the Houston Heights Foodies Facebook group page. The original post brought up concerns the property looked abandoned and in poor condition.

According to the Harris Central Appraisal District, it looks like the property, which is part of the Norhill historic district, never changed hands. Jesse and Sara “Sadie” Morales, Thomas’ parents, are still listed as the owners. The appraisal value for the address is listed around $451,000. The restaurant, now at 2121 N. Main St., is no longer open 24 hours or a late-night operation, but it’s still fairly active.

However, Zachary Wolf, a principal of Wolf Capital Partners, told Chron on Monday that Magnol owner Otto Sanchez bought the property from the Morales family. WCP had  since redeveloped the neighboring property, which now houses a Rumble Boxing and Starbucks, but the firm no longer owns the property or has knowledge of what is going on there. 

Magnol and Sanchez have not yet responded to Chron’s request for more information. A commenter in the Heights Foodie thread said they knew Magnol’s ownership and was told the project ultimately fizzled out because the property was in “bad shape” and impossible to rebuild.