Someone painted a black oak leaf on the brick at 308 Market Street, along with the words "EST. 2026." Behind the doors is a wall of 28 taps. Until May 17, the same address held Fire Ant Brewpub. It opened in 2018 as Old Town Tomball's first brewpub and closed after eight years when its owners retired. Southern Oak Brewing takes over the space this Wednesday, October 7.
That one storefront sums up downtown this year. Old Town lost a lot in 2026: a brewpub, a Main Street bakery, a storefront on Commerce, and a shop that was announced but never opened. Most of what's filling those gaps comes from people who were already doing business in Tomball. They aren't newcomers trying out the district. They're local operators moving up, moving over, or finally getting a permanent address.
The brewery came from two Tomball owners
Southern Oak is a joint project between two Tomball families. Josh and Kendra Schwaiger co-own Paradigm Brewing Company. Tatia and Doug George own Graze on North Elm. The Tomball Times put it simply: the brewer and the chef already run a brewery and a restaurant about seven minutes apart, on opposite ends of town. The Schwaigers opened Paradigm in December 2021 in the Tomball Business & Technology Park. The Georges opened Graze at 208 N. Elm in January 2022.
It moved fast. The Tomball Times laid out the timeline for 308 Market:
- May 17, 2026: Fire Ant closes and gives up its permit.
- June 23: Southern Oak is announced for the space.
- July 21: The logo goes up on the patio brick.
- August 12: Three alcohol permit applications are filed.
- August 24: The 28 taps are installed.
- October 7: Opening day.
The permits explain what kind of place it will be. Southern Oak holds a Texas brewpub license, so it can brew beer on site and sell it there, up to 10,000 barrels a year. It also holds a food and beverage certificate, which requires a working kitchen with entrées available whenever alcohol is served. Its retail permit covers beer and wine but not liquor, so there won't be a cocktail menu. Houston Press reported that the 28 taps will pour house and guest beers, and that wine, champagne, cider and nonalcoholic options will also be available. The full food menu wasn't out as of October 2, but a social media photo showed a fried chicken sandwich, a burger and loaded fries.
Hours after opening day are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. It's closed Mondays.
The opening also fills a gap in the district. Old Town has plenty of places to drink. 403 Eats Food Truck Park on East Main has two bars and 17 taps. Drifter's Dive Bar and The Bluebonnet Wine Bar on Commerce both pour craft and Texas beer. Thirsty Bee Meadery on West Main makes honey wine. Since May, though, no one downtown has actually brewed beer.
The bakery came from the Saturday market
Saturdays Bakery at 411 W. Main St. listed July 4 as its last day. Eleven weeks later, on September 19, Flour House Bakers opened a storefront at 214 W. Main St.
Anyone who shops the Tomball Farmers Market probably knows Flour House already. Owners Matt and Sarah Cross started the business in 2016 and spent years selling sourdough, English muffins and scones from a market booth before getting a storefront. The new shop is about a block from the market. The market still runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 205 W. Main St., with more than 70 local farmers and artisans.
The storefront also serves breakfast and lunch built on the bakery's own bread. The O.G. is egg, bacon and cheddar on an English muffin. Sage Against the Machine puts sausage, egg and cheese on a sage-and-rosemary English muffin. Jalapeno Business is egg, bacon and avocado on a jalapeño-cheddar scone. On weekdays, you can now sit down for a meal that used to be a Saturday bread pickup.
A Tomball resident opened her own restaurant
Mimi's Ethiopian Cuisine opened in early August at 103 W. Main St. Owner Meseret Mandafro moved to Tomball from Dallas for her husband's job. She told Community Impact that Tomball "became more than just a place where we lived—it became our home," and that it was where she wanted to build her business. Over about two years, she found a location, got her permits and opened the restaurant. The menu covers Ethiopian classics, including red lentils, lamb, beef and doro wat. It's open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Copan Coffee Roasters is adding to downtown too. Its mobile Copan Coffee Lab trailer at 716 S. Persimmon St. has a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. on October 9 and opens to the public October 10.
Shops moved within Main Street instead of leaving
The same thing happened on West Main, block by block. Splendid Things Stained Glass left 410 W. Main St. on July 26 for 1599 Hicks St., Suite A. It moved out of Old Town but is still open. About a month later, on August 28, From the Attic moved into 410 W. Main from its old spot at 315 W. Main. The space went to a shop that was already on the street.
Here's what changed in Old Town since spring:
| Date | Business | Address | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | Drifter's Dive Bar | 401½ Commerce St. | Opened |
| May 8 | Snarky's | 306 Market St. | Opened |
| May 17 | Fire Ant Brewpub | 308 Market St. | Closed |
| May 30 | The Peddler's Pack Book Co. | 408 W. Main St. | Opened |
| June 20 | The Bluebonnet | 401 Commerce St. | Renamed The Bluebonnet Wine Bar |
| July 1 | Mahjong Rodeo | 210 W. Main St. | Opened |
| July 4 | Saturdays Bakery | 411 W. Main St. | Closed |
| July 18 | Pearl Provision Co. | 409 Commerce St. | Opened storefront |
| July 26 | Splendid Things Stained Glass | 410 W. Main St. | Moved to Hicks St. |
| July 27 | Vee Hive | 412 W. Main St. | Will not open at this address |
| Early August | Mimi's Ethiopian Cuisine | 103 W. Main St. | Opened |
| August 28 | From the Attic | 410 W. Main St. | Moved from 315 W. Main |
| September 19 | Flour House Bakers | 214 W. Main St. | Opened storefront |
| September 28 | Laramie & Co. | 100 Commerce St. | Storefront closed, business continues |
| October 7 | Southern Oak Brewing | 308 Market St. | Opening |
Laramie & Co. is another example. Its storefront at 100 Commerce St. closed September 28, but the owner said the business isn't closing. The new address hasn't been decided yet. The Tomball Times also lists Roundup Marketplace as coming in fall 2026, though the exact address hasn't been announced.
Highway 249 is changing in a different way. Chipotle announced a September 22 opening at 25545 Hwy. 249, with a Chipotlane for mobile order pickup. Olive Garden is scheduled to open October 26 at 27651 Hwy. 249 in the Grand at 249. Downtown has mostly filled its spaces with independent owners instead.
The Depot calendar for the rest of the year
The new businesses are opening just as the Depot calendar gets busy. October 10 is the most crowded day. The City of Tomball lists the Tomball Arts & Makers Market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 405 Commerce St., Spooktacular '26 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Depot Plaza, and 2nd Saturday at the Depot from 4 to 9 p.m. at 201 S. Elm St. Copan's trailer opens the same day, and the farmers market runs that morning.
After that:
- November 7: Depot Day Fall Fest, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Tomball Depot Plaza, with model trains, museum access, rides, vendors, food and live music. Admission and parking are free.
- November 14: 2nd Saturday at the Depot, 5 to 8 p.m. at 201 S. Elm St.
- November 21: Tomball Holiday Parade downtown, 10 a.m. to noon.
- December 5: Deck the Depot Tree Lighting, 4 to 8 p.m. at Tomball Depot Plaza.
- December 11 to 13: Tomball German Christmas Market at 201 S. Elm St., Friday 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
Fire Ant's beer leaned German. It made an Oktoberfest-style seasonal, a hefeweizen and a doppelbock in late winter. Southern Oak hasn't released a tap list yet, so nobody knows whether it will brew anything for the Christmas Market. The brewery has said its Instagram and Facebook pages are where updates go first. Event times can change, so check the City of Tomball calendar before you go.
If you live a few blocks from the Depot and these changes on Main Street have you wondering how downtown activity affects your home's value, Bolanos Realty knows Tomball block by block and can talk it through with you. Schedule Your Free Consultation.
