Mar 21
INDUSTRY NEWS
Baker Katz, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in retail tenant representation, project development and leasing, announced the execution of five retail real estate leases on behalf of Darden Restaurants.
“We are proud to support Darden Restaurants and their mission to expand throughout the Lone Star State,” said Traci Holman of Baker Katz. “Darden continues to prosper across Texas, bringing its well-established and growing brands to numerous markets with multiple dining options for guests.”
Darden Restaurants’ core brands include Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and the newly added Chuy’s, which was acquired in October 2024. As part of the group’s Texas expansion, multiple new restaurants are opening across the Houston and Rio Grande Valley areas.
Baker Katz recently supported the leasing of two Olive Garden locations. The first Olive Garden lease is a 7,805-square-foot restaurant location in Portland, Texas, opening in Q2 2025. Lynann Pinkham of Cravey Real Estate represented the landlord in the transaction. The second lease is a 7,825-square-foot location at The District in Edinburg, Texas, set to open in 2026. Ron Reimer of First Hartford Realty represented the landlord in the transaction.
Baker Katz also represented Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen in two new leases. The first is a 6,142-square-foot location in Donna, Texas, under construction with a scheduled opening of Q3 2025. Brian Smith of Merit Commercial Real Estate represented the landlord in the transaction. The second Cheddar’s restaurant is located in North McAllen, Texas, at Trenton North Shopping Center and is expected to open in Q4 2025. Louie Tijernia of CBRE represented the landlord in the transaction.
Finally, Baker Katz represented the LongHorn Steakhouse location in fast growing Baytown, Texas, which opened a month ago as a great addition to the Baytown market. Bob Conwell and Austin Baldridge with NewQuest Properties represented the landlord in the transaction.
Baker Katz broker(s) Jason Baker and Traci Holman represented Darden Restaurants in all five transactions.