CITY OF KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The Starbucks sign has been gone for nearly a year, but a new sign now hangs above the familiar Cinco Ranch coffee spot.
Qatra Specialty Coffee has put its name on the former Starbucks in the Kroger Plaza at Westheimer Parkway and South Mason Road, signaling that the business is moving closer to opening its first Katy-area location. The Cinco Ranch location is also now appearing on Google under the Qatra name at the shopping center address, another visible indication that preparations are underway.
Qatra announced earlier this year that it would take over the space after Starbucks closed the location in September. Owner Basil Aldabyani previously told Covering Katy News that he expected the Katy shop to open in late summer or early fall following renovations to the space.
The location has attracted particular interest because the former Starbucks had developed a loyal following among customers who viewed it as more than simply a place to buy coffee. Regulars praised its employees and the neighborhood atmosphere after learning the store would close.
Its closure followed another loss for coffee drinkers in the immediate area. Proud Pie, the longtime artisan pie bakery and coffee shop at 3522 S. Mason Road, closed its storefront July 1, 2024, after nearly nine years in business. Proud Pie was known locally for making coffee one cup at a time, giving nearby residents another place to sit down over a carefully prepared cup rather than simply grab coffee on the go.
That community response ultimately helped attract Qatra to the location. Aldabyani said he read both the Covering Katy story about the Starbucks closure and the comments Covering Katy readers posted in response to it.
Aldabyani, who grew up in Richmond, previously told Covering Katy News that those reader comments — particularly the reaction from customers who did not want to lose a neighborhood gathering place — helped convince him that the former Starbucks could be a good location for Qatra.
"When I read the article, the focus was a lot about having a place where the local community can hang out," Aldabyani said. "To me, that just seemed awesome."
A coffee shop built around staying awhile
The former Starbucks did not have a drive-through, a feature that has become increasingly common at newer coffee locations.
Qatra, however, is betting that customers will continue to value the location as a place to come inside, have coffee and spend time with others — much as they did when Starbucks occupied the space.
The company opened its first location in San Antonio in late 2023 and has also expanded to North Carolina.
Qatra specializes in organic coffee beans sourced from Colombia, Yemen and Ethiopia and roasted at a facility on Westheimer Road in Houston. Its menu includes espresso drinks, iced lattes, pour overs, matcha and Middle Eastern desserts.
Aldabyani previously said Qatra intends to recreate some of the neighborhood atmosphere customers appreciated about the former Starbucks, including employees getting to know regular customers and their usual orders.
Even one of the traditions familiar to customers of the former coffee shop is expected to continue: Aldabyani said Qatra plans to offer its own version of the "Pup Cup" for customers who bring their dogs.
Visible signs of progress
For months, customers passing through the shopping center have seen the former Starbucks space awaiting its transformation. Brown paper has lined the windows since Starbucks left the neighborhood. The arrival of Qatra's exterior signage changes that, putting the new coffee shop's name prominently on the storefront, but the brown paper remains as interior renovations are underway.
An exact opening date has not yet been announced.
"I'm hoping that when we do open, we get a lot of support from the community," Aldabyani previously told Covering Katy News.
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