It’s Lights Out for Au Petit Paris and Pepino’s in Montrose

Two long-running Montrose establishments have shuttered. CultureMap reports that both French eatery Au Petit Paris and Pepino’s Italian Restaurant closed in the past several weeks.

Au Petit Paris announced its shutter on June 13. The restaurant had operated for nine years on Colquitt Street. The owners of Au Petit write in a message on the eatery's website:

All of us at Au Petit Paris would like to thank you for your many years of patronage. However, we must now tell you that we decided to close our restaurant. After making the announcement we received hundreds of well wishes, all of which were very touching and we sincerely appreciated all of your kind words. We know we could not have made it without you and we truly enjoyed serving each of you. Again... thank you.

Pepino’s closure is slightly more mysterious if not entirely unexpected. The restaurant had struggled for years with lackluster reviews and teetered on two and half Yelp stars from patrons. On July 14 the Houston Chronicle rumormongered the possible shutter noting that signage was coming down and a for-lease sign posted.

Despite the closures, the Montrose area remains a hotspot for restaurant developments. Austin’s popular Ramen Tatsu-ya is expected to open a third location (Houston’s first) in the area and Denver-based brunch restaurant Snooze A.M. Eatery is expanding to the area this week.

• Two Longtime International Restaurants in Prime Montrose Locations Quietly Close [CultureMap]
• Is Longtime Montrose Eatery Pepino’s Closed? [Chron]
• All The Shutter Coverage [EHOU]