A popular Houston comedian is dipping into the city’s food scene alongside his daughter. Ali Siddiq and Jaden Gaines are taking ownership of Lucille Hospitality’s Rado Market at 2310 Elgin St. Gaines is already the general manager and chef.

Lucille’s founder Chris Williams opened Rado Market beneath the Eldorado Ballroom in 2023. The “brainchild of Lucille’s Hospitality Group” has served as a hybrid all-day cafe and neighborhood market. Having been there since the very beginning, Gaines has had a hand in day-to-day operations, menu development, food preparation, vendor management, and event coordination.

Williams said in a statement that Gaines opened Rado in his absence when his daughter was born, and “she’s been running it like it was hers ever since. “It only makes sense that she officially takes ownership and continues moving it into the future,” he said.

For the dad-daughter duo, that future will be helping Rado evolve via culturally-conscious prepared foods, fresh groceries, locally sourced products, and a rotating menu of breakfast, lunch, and brunch dishes. There will also be some new daily items and extended halal options. 

“I’ve grown up in this community, and Rado Market has always been more than just a restaurant to me,” Gaines said in a statement. “It’s a place where people come to connect, to feel safe, and to celebrate what makes Third Ward special. My dad and I want to honor that by keeping the doors open for everyone, so that when you walk through our doors, you feel like we’re welcoming you into your home.”

Beyond the bites, Siddiq and Gaines plan to build out Rado Market’s community programming with wellness initiatives, fundraisers, creative events, and partnerships with local vendors. The market will host a chef dinner and wine series, monthly art shows, and live piano nights.

“As a proud Houston artist who kept my talent rooted in my city, it is amazing to see my daughter establish her culinary roots in the historic Third Ward, on the bottom floor of the historic Eldorado Ballroom, where so many early Houston icons honed their talent,” Siddiq said in a statement. “I am very proud.”

Though it has switched hands, Rado is still considered a sister concept to Lucille’s restaurant portfolio, which includes Lucille’s and Late August.