Houston Food Fanatics story
El Tiempo’s Webster Location Is Coming Back Under Laurenzo Family Ownership
El Tiempo Cantina’s Webster restaurant is set to reopen under Laurenzo family ownership just days after the franchised location closed, though a reopening date has not yet been announced.
The El Tiempo Cantina in Webster is coming back, and this time the Laurenzo family will be operating it directly.
The restaurant at 20237 Gulf Freeway closed September 2 after operating as a franchise since opening in 2017. Just ten days later, El Tiempo announced that the location would return to the family-operated side of the company.
A quick reversal after an emotional closing
The original closure came with a public message from the former management describing the decision as heartbreaking and thanking the community for years of support. No specific reason for the franchised restaurant’s shutdown was announced.
The rapid follow-up changes the story significantly. Instead of losing the El Tiempo location altogether, Webster is now expected to get the restaurant back under the family that created the brand.
The Laurenzo family returns to direct control
Roland Laurenzo and his son Domenic opened the first El Tiempo Cantina in 1998, extending a Houston restaurant legacy that traces back to Ninfa Laurenzo and the original Ninfa’s.
The Webster restaurant had operated under a franchise arrangement. Returning it to Laurenzo family ownership means the location will once again be part of the family-run side of the brand rather than an independently operated franchise.
Reopening date still to come
The key detail that remains unknown is exactly when the doors will reopen. El Tiempo announced the ownership change and the plan to return, but an official reopening date had not been released when the news broke.
For diners around Webster, Clear Lake, Friendswood and League City, that means the restaurant is coming back but is not yet a place to make immediate dinner plans. HFF will update the story when a firm reopening date is announced.
Source: Reopening and ownership details were reported by the Houston Chronicle on September 12, 2026.
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