Three of Houston’s longest-enduring restaurants (L-R): Christie’s Seafood & Steaks, Molina’s Cantina, and Brennan’s of Houston.
The profit margins for restaurants are always thin. The competition can be fierce. The hours are long, and the work is hard. Is it any wonder, then, that many Houston-area restaurants come and go, lasting five, maybe ten years before someone or something else moves in?
And then there are the remarkable exceptions. Dining institutions that last multiple generations, that thrive decade after decade, surviving fifty years, 80 years — or even a century!
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Such is the case for longtime spots, like Christie’s Seafood & Steaks, which dates back to 1917 — making it the oldest still-operating restaurant in Houston. Or Molina’s Cantina, which was established in 1941, and Brennan’s of Houston, which was founded in 1967.
To find out how those restaurants have endured, Houston Matters producer Michael Hagerty visisted all three to learn about the families involved in running them and their histories.
Watch