Waterway in The Woodlands making headway

by David Kaplan
Chron.com

David Cordua had never been so happy to have competition.

He had been hoping for more neighbors for his Americas restaurant at Waterway in the Woodlands, and two new restaurants have been announced: La Guadalupana Mexican Cuisine and Luca & Leonardo Ristorante, with others in negotiations, according to the Woodlands Development Co.

When Cordua, executive chef of development for Cordua Restaurants, opened Americas in 2008, it was among the few retail operations at Waterway, and his restaurant initially struggled.

Since then, business at Americas has improved, other bars and restaurants have moved in, and "Waterway is becoming the go-to place for night life in north Houston," he said.

By almost all accounts, the Woodlands is a vibrant place for retail. The Woodlands Mall is 99 percent leased, Market Street flourishes, as do the smaller centers in the upscale community.

Waterway got off to a slow start for retail but is starting to take off, according to operators there.

Developers of the 8-year-old Waterway note that the ambitious mixed-use project is still getting off the ground and will be twice its current size in about six years.

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