Ford’s Garage is rolling out an expansion in Houston, with the first of three locations expected to open at the Houston Premium Outlets. The Florida-based eatery signed a franchise deal with local father-daughter franchisee duo Baryalay and Lyma Razi to develop three locations in the next three to five years in H-Town, according to the Houston Business Journal.
What Now Houston spoke with Baryalay about the new culinary venture, who shared that he intends to wrap up the course of construction on this vintage-themed restaurant just in time for the holidays, opening the first Houston Ford’s Garage at 29300 Hempstead Rd. before Christmas 2026.
The partnership between the Ford’s Garage brand and the Razi’s SVR Hospitality LLC business will certainly be the gift that keeps on giving. While the plan is currently to get the three new Houston Ford’s Garage eateries rolling, the deal has the potential to extend to as many as eight restaurants throughout the Greater Houston area.
“They have a signature product that caught my attention and the environment. When you go inside a Ford’s Garage, it feels like a family environment,” Baryalay said.
For the 20-plus-year franchisee, family is everything. Baryalay shared that one of the best parts of this foray with the Ford’s Garage corporation is that he gets to do so with his daughter, Lyma.
“I can’t describe the feeling. Working closely like this with my daughter actually brought us a lot closer,” Baryalay said.
“For me, I wanted this to be a learning process for her. Indirectly, I’m kind of teaching her how to fight all of the challenges and how to be strong. So she appreciates that, and I appreciate her time.”
The two have spent a lot of time visiting a few of the Ford’s Garage restaurants that are currently operating throughout the country.
“I noticed all of these families, were sharing stories with each other, and they were taking a lot of selfies because there are all of these classic cars inside Ford’s Garage establishments,” Baryalay said.
Ford’s Garage was founded in 2012 by a group of restaurateurs, including Mike McGuigan, Daniel Kearns, and Marc Brown. The concept was created in Fort Myers, Florida, near Henry Ford’s former winter home, and is inspired by the 1920s service station theme. Since franchising in 2015, Ford’s Garage has expanded to 32 locations across 8 states.
According to its website, Ford’s Garage is a place “where great food meets vintage vibes,” and it is an official licensee of the Ford Motor Company. The brand pays tribute to America’s most iconic automobile brand by offering a truly historic dining experience—right down to the nostalgic auto shop uniforms and the hand-hammered copper bar top at each of its locations.
Baryalay said he plans to bring that same unforgettable atmosphere and great food to Houston when he opens the first string of Ford’s Garage locations.
Ford’s Garage is known for its famous Black Angus burgers and craft beers, but the eatery also offers a variety of salads, soups, comfort foods, and desserts. Burgers like the American Standard, the Bison Burger, and the BBQ Brisket Burger have helped Ford’s Garage stay on the road to fame. But it is the Ford’s Signature burger that rings true as the outlier in the race for the best burger.
“That is probably one of the best ones. I’ve worked 20 years for Whataburger, and that’s probably my favorite place to go to this day for a cheeseburger. But this one at Ford’s Garage has a special bun with their logo, and it comes with a special sauce that I don’t think they want to share with anybody,” Baryalay said with a chuckle.
The long-time food and beverage professional has held leadership roles with not only Whataburger but also Blaze Pizza, Aloha Poke, and Bojangles.
“But the combination of cheeseburger that Ford’s Garage offers, I think, is the best one,” he said.
Check out the Ford’s Signature burger and more when Ford’s Garage cruises into Houston for the first time and opens at 29300 Hempstead Rd. in December 2026.
