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Los Tios chain secures Texas liquor license for Beechnut Street location

Los Tios chain secures Texas liquor license for Beechnut Street location

Money Moves Houston, TX local

Texas ABC issues mixed beverage permit to Los Tios 4 LLC

August 21st, 2026: Texas ABC issues liquor license to Los Tios 4 LLC

Overview

Updated 38 minutes ago

Los Tios, a Houston Tex Mex chain founded in 1970, took a permitting step at its Beechnut Street location. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) issued a mixed beverage license to Los Tios 4 LLC on August 21.

The license allows the holder to serve mixed drinks but is not the final approval needed to open. The Adair family, which has owned the chain since 2000, must clear additional state and local permits before the restaurant can serve customers.

Why it matters

If the Beechnut Street location opens, Houston's Meyerland area gains a new outpost of a five-decade-old Tex Mex institution.

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Key Indicators

6
Current Los Tios locations
The chain operates six Houston-area restaurants with the San Felipe location as its flagship.
1970
Year Los Tios was founded
The Garbett family started the restaurant, which the Adairs bought in 2000.
MB
License type issued by TABC
Mixed beverage permit allows serving beer, wine, and cocktails on premises.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

January 1970 August 2026

4 events Latest: August 21st, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Texas ABC issues liquor license to Los Tios 4 LLC

    Latest Permit

    TABC grants a mixed beverage permit to Los Tios 4 LLC at 4840 Beechnut Street, Houston.

  2. Adair family buys Los Tios

    Ownership Change

    The Garbett family sells the chain to the Adair family, who run it today.

  3. Los Tios introduces frozen margarita

    Milestone

    The chain serves what it calls Houston's first frozen margarita from its San Felipe location.

  4. Garbett family opens Los Tios

    Founding

    The first Los Tios restaurant opens in Houston, launching a Tex Mex institution.

Scenarios

1

Los Tios Opens Beechnut Street Restaurant

Likely Resolves by Aug 21, 2027

Discussed by: Houston Chronicle, Eater Houston, CultureMap Houston

Los Tios clears remaining building and food-service permits, completes renovations at 4840 Beechnut, and opens to customers. The TABC license was the first major regulatory hurdle and signals the chain is committed to the location.

2

Permitting Drags, Opening Pushed Past One Year

Possible Resolves by Aug 21, 2027

Discussed by: Houston Chronicle restaurant desk

Construction delays, additional permit reviews, or staffing issues push the opening beyond August 2027. The license stays active and Los Tios remains committed, but no opening date is set within the year.

3

Los Tios Abandons Beechnut Street Plans

Unlikely Resolves by Aug 21, 2027

Discussed by: Eater Houston

The chain lets the license lapse, transfers it to another entity, or officially cancels plans for 4840 Beechnut. Economic conditions, lease disputes, or a strategic shift could prompt the move.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 1970

Texas legalizes liquor by the drink (1970)

Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing restaurants to serve mixed drinks. Before that, Texas bars and restaurants could only sell beer and wine, and customers had to bring their own liquor to mix with it. The 1970 referendum created the legal framework for the mixed beverage permits TABC issues today.

Then

Restaurants across Texas began adding cocktails to their menus, transforming the dining scene almost overnight.

Now

The MB permit became standard for full-service restaurants in Texas, and TABC built its licensing system around it.

Why this matters now

The license Los Tios 4 LLC just received is the direct descendant of this 1970 legal change — the mechanism that lets a Houston Tex Mex restaurant serve frozen margaritas.

1973 to 1980s

Ninfa's grows from taquería to chain (1973–1980s)

Ninfa Laurenzo opened a 28-seat restaurant on Navigation Boulevard in Houston's East End. Within a decade, Ninfa's had become one of the city's most recognizable Tex Mex brands, expanding to multiple locations across the metro area.

Then

Ninfa's proved a neighborhood Tex Mex restaurant could scale into a regional chain.

Now

The brand changed hands multiple times, showing both the growth potential and the ownership risks of Houston restaurant families.

Why this matters now

Los Tios operates on the same growth model — a family-owned Tex Mex restaurant expanding to multiple locations across Houston.

1976 to present

Pappas family builds multi-brand restaurant group (1976–present)

The Pappas family grew from a single Houston cafe into one of the city's largest restaurant operators, with brands like Pappadeaux, Pappasito's, and Pappas Steakhouse. Each brand operates through separate corporate entities.

Then

The family became a dominant force in Houston dining.

Now

Their corporate structure — separate LLCs per location — became the standard model for growing Houston restaurant groups.

Why this matters now

Los Tios 4 LLC follows this same structure: separate legal entities for each restaurant location, with the family holding company above them.

Sources

(3)