House of Louie may sound familiar; that’s because it is. House of Louie comes from dynamic culinary sibling duo, Angelo and Lucianna “Louie” Emiliani, who opened Café Louie in the Second Ward in May 2022. According to a recent permit, the pair of chefs is opening a new concept under the name House of Louie at 1931 Fairview St.
What Now Houston reached out to the two restaurateurs about the opening and was told that they were not ready to divulge much information, but did share that they intend to open House of Louie by Spring 2026.
The two chefs have gone through a bit of a whirlwind since opening Café Louie in 2022, which may be why the pair is a bit tight-lipped about this upcoming opening. According to Houstonia, the two have experienced many name and concept changes. When Café Louie first opened on a corner in the Second Ward, it pitched itself as a breakfast, brunch, and lunch spot. Business was booming from the jump, with folks coming wide and far to try out Angelo’s renowned culinary gifts and Louie’s unforgettable pastries.
The only problem: the eatery was branded as a cafe and had a low price point, making it difficult to turn a profit once the influx of customers began to slow down. But the Emailani siblings didn’t just pack up and close up shop; they started offering dinner service, rebranding Café Louie to Louie’s Italian American in December 2022. The testament to their tenacity, unfortunately, fell short. Louie’s Italian American closed in April 2023.
But, again, the tenacious culinary artists didn’t throw in the towel. The two reflected, consulted on other projects, and began the process of rebranding into what is expected to be The House of Louie.
Social media pages have been taken down and replaced with an account for Little Louie‘s that alluded to an opening coming soon.
No word just yet on what the new eatery will be offering or if the Little Louie’s name will indeed stick even though the name House of Louie was submitted in the permitting process. But, if the past is of any consequence on the Emiliani’s future, they may stick to what they know and what people love and adore.
The original concept, Café Louie, featured coffees and pastries, pastas and pizzas, and a mix of top-notch buzz-worthy breakfast and lunch dishes. Hopefully, House of Louie will offer the same, if not similar, delicacies.
Houstonians can find out for themselves when the House of Louie opens at 1931 Fairview St. in Spring of 2026.
