Lafayette's Closed Storefronts: Who's Moved In This Year?

LAFAYETTE, La. — Lafayette’s commercial real estate has been moving fast, with restaurants, fitness concepts, retail shops, and entertainment venues taking over spaces that closed anywhere from a few months to well over a decade ago.

Some of these turnovers happened quickly. Others involve buildings that sat dark for years before someone finally pulled the trigger. Across the parish, the pattern is the same: one business goes out, another comes in, and the address gets a new life.

Here’s a rundown of what’s moved in, what’s under construction, and what’s still in the works.

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Former Chili’s on Ambassador Caffery: Bistrology Brunch & Coffee

The Chili’s at 3905 Ambassador Caffery Parkway had been vacant for some time before Bistrology Brunch & Coffee opened its first Louisiana location there on January 12, 2026. The concept comes from Florida. Owner Ruben Chavez, who also operates several El Paso Mexican Grill locations in the area, put considerable effort into the build-out — plants throughout the space, modern lighting, and an earthy interior that reads differently from the usual Ambassador Caffery dining experience.

Chavez’s goal was to create something that doesn’t look or feel like any other brunch spot in town, he told the Acadiana restaurant reporter. The menu covers chilaquiles, breakfast arepas, waffles, eggs Benedict variations, and specialty cocktails crafted by Italian bartender Mario Celle. A second Bistrology location is already planned for 2810 Chemin Metairie Road in Youngsville.

Former Viva La Waffle: Off The Hook

Viva La Waffle ran four years at 101 Liberty Avenue before co-owner Tim Metcalf told the Acadiana restaurant reporter it just wasn’t working out. The building had previously housed Dix Daiquiris, so the address has some history of turnover. Off The Hook, the Thibodaux-founded Cajun seafood brand, moved in and opened as the chain’s ninth location.

Canva, Google Maps, off the hook instagram

CEO and founder Paxton Moreaux said they saw an opportunity in a market that already has an appetite for what they serve, according to the opening announcement. The menu runs fried shrimp, fried catfish, red beans, po-boys, and gumbo. It operates daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Former Burger King on Johnston Street: Meltdown Snoballs

The Burger King at 1500 Johnston Street, close to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus, closed in January 2024 and sat vacant for more than a year. It’s a prime location to leave empty: high foot traffic, a college-age customer base, and good visibility from the road. Meltdown Snoballs, a Louisiana snoball company founded in Baton Rouge by Zein Clayton in 2021, took over the 2,800-square-foot building for its first Lafayette location. Clayton was 16 years old when he started the company.

Clayton picked Lafayette for its food culture and as a growth market, he said in coverage of the move. The location was targeting an early November 2025 opening, with dine-in seating, outdoor seating, and a drive-thru. The menu goes beyond snoballs and includes hot sausage po’boy nachos, Frito pies, and chili dogs.

Former Plaza Nightclub on Johnston Street: 4509 Lounge

The Plaza ran from 1995 to 2010 at 4509 Johnston Street and left a long shadow. Multiple levels, a massive dancefloor, a booming sound system, capacity for nearly 2,000 people on a Saturday night, and a history of touring acts that people in Lafayette still talk about. The building sat idle for years after closing.

Now it’s getting a new identity. Owner Ryan Vellion took over the space, with signage going up in 2025 and activity ramping through the year. Coverage of the new concept describes it as a sophisticated music-and-performance-focused venue with original artwork paying tribute to the acts that performed there, built for a more intimate experience than the Plaza’s mega-club era. The address is the same. The concept is its own thing.

Former Ground Pat’i on Kaliste Saloom: The Toasted Yolk Café

Ground Pat’i’s lease at 2512 Kaliste Saloom Road expired at the end of 2023. The restaurant elected not to renew, and the building at the corner of Kaliste Saloom and Ambassador Caffery turned over to a new tenant before the end of 2025. The Toasted Yolk Café, a brunch chain, moved into that space. Ground Pat’i, meanwhile, made its own return, reopening at its original Johnston Street location at 2303 Johnston St.

The Johnston Street building was purchased by Old Tyme Grocery owners Glenn and Cheri Murphree, who made Ground Pat’i’s return possible. It’s a tidy illustration of how one lease decision can ripple across several addresses at once.

Former Tchoup’s MidCity Restaurant: CuGino Italian Restaurant

CuGino, a rustic Sicilian-Italian restaurant, opened in the former Tchoup’s MidCity Restaurant building at 117 S. College Road in October 2025. The concept comes from Gene Todaro, the Lafayette restaurateur who founded Marcello’s in 1981, partnering with Hunter Moody, a Lafayette native who has operated restaurants in Baton Rouge. Todaro brings his Sicilian roots directly into the kitchen. The menu features handmade pasta, seafood, steaks, and a cocktail and wine list. It has earned consistent placement in local restaurant searches since opening.

CuGino was named one of the standout openings of 2025 in the year-end dining roundup. Current hours are Wednesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Saturday 5 to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Former Subway on Ambassador Caffery: Empire Wingz

The former Subway at 1521 Ambassador Caffery Parkway is now home to Empire Wingz, a Baton Rouge wing brand that opened its eighth location in Lafayette on March 28, 2026. Founder Vic Smith started the concept in 2012, selling wings out of a nightclub he owned on Florida Boulevard in Baton Rouge. The brand expanded from there, built in part on its following near Southern University.

The Lafayette location uses self-serve ordering kiosks during peak hours, according to the opening details. Wings come in several heat levels, climbing up to “danger.” The VJ Fries, topped with BBQ and ranch sauce, have drawn early attention.

Former Hooters on Ambassador Caffery: KOK Wings & Things

KOK Wings & Things, the Lafayette-born wing brand founded in 2016 by four UL Lafayette students, soft-opened its second Lafayette location in April 2026 at 3221 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, the former Hooters building next to Premier’s Acadiana Lanes. The grand opening followed on May 9. It’s the company’s sixth location overall.

Co-founders Corey McCoy, Jared Johnson, Avery Bell, and Tre’Jan Vinson started KOK out of a rent house on Clinton Street near campus before opening their first brick-and-mortar on University Avenue in 2018. The Advocate reported that the company kept the existing kitchen configuration from the Hooters build-out and converted the front of the house to a fast-casual counter-service setup. KOK is known for its house-made sauces, including the fan-favorite Sumnasty Sauce, and has served more than five million wings across its locations.

Former Blaze Pizza at Ambassador Town Center: Spencer’s Gifts

Spencer’s Gifts opened a second Lafayette location in the former Blaze Pizza space at 111 Meadow Farm Road, Suite 100, inside Ambassador Town Center. The grand opening is set for June 27, 2026. It’s an unusual move for the brand — Spencer’s locations are almost exclusively inside enclosed shopping malls, making the Ambassador Town Center spot one of the few known non-mall formats in the chain’s history.

The Advocate reported the Acadiana Mall location will remain open alongside the new store. The first 100 guests at the grand opening receive $10 gift cards, along with giveaways throughout the afternoon.

Former Lafayette Health Club: SMASH Pickleball & Restaurant (Coming Fall 2026)

The Lafayette Health Club at 2905 Kaliste Saloom Road has been closed for more than fifteen years. The property sat in visible disrepair along a well-traveled corridor for years, including early demolition work in 2022 that removed and filled the former outdoor swimming pool.

SMASH, the pickleball and dining concept that opened its first location in Sugar Mill Pond in Youngsville in March 2026, is targeting the Kaliste Saloom site for a second Lafayette-area location. The existing tennis courts on the property will convert to pickleball courts, with a rooftop bar and dining area overlooking them — something the Youngsville location does not have. The property was acquired by Chase Group Construction, led by Chase Landry. A fall 2026 opening has been reported as the target.

Former Dirt Cheap on Ambassador Caffery: Crunch Fitness (Coming Late 2026/Early 2027)

The former Dirt Cheap space at 3324 Ambassador Caffery Parkway is being converted into a 31,574-square-foot Crunch Fitness. The national fitness chain, ranked second in the fitness category on Entrepreneur magazine’s 2026 Franchise 500, would fill a large retail footprint that has been underutilized since the discount retailer closed.

The facility will include strength and cardio equipment, functional training zones, recovery amenities, a Kids Crunch area, and HIIT training spaces, per the construction plans. No construction start date has been confirmed. The current estimate puts an opening somewhere between late 2026 and early 2027. It would be one of only a few gyms in the area with a dedicated kids’ zone, alongside Club4 Fitness and Red’s.

Former Northgate Mall: The Hub Redevelopment

Lafayette’s Northgate Mall, in north Lafayette, has been undergoing a full transformation since local developer Jacoby Landry purchased the property. Now rebranded as The Hub, the site has added new tenants filling spaces that sat vacant for years.

JD’s Urban Eatery, opened by Jalessa Dixon in January 2026, operates inside the former mall space with a menu of lamb chops, ribeyes, salmon, and loaded pasta bowls. Xtreme Health Club took over the former Planet Fitness space and is now open, offering hot tubs, a cold plunge, steam rooms, saunas, and indoor and outdoor pickleball. A rooftop restaurant and sports bar is also under construction inside the property.

Landry estimates the full build-out could take four to ten years, depending on funding and leasing, with long-term plans calling for health services, grocery, retail, dining, and residential units on the property.

Former Pinhook Bar Space: Sombreros Mexican Restaurant (Unconfirmed)

Callihan’s on Pinhook, the Lafayette location of the Baker soul food brand, closed in 2025. Sombreros Mexican Restaurant, a Louisiana-based Tex-Mex chain, has been reported as eyeing the Pinhook space as a potential location. No opening date has been set and no official announcement has come from Sombreros.

Former Twin’s Burgers & Sweets in Youngsville: Kartchner’s Specialty Meats (Fifth Location)

Just outside Lafayette, Kartchner’s Specialty Meats is also moving into the former Twin’s Burgers & Sweets space at 103 Centre Sarcelle inside Metairie Centre in Youngsville. That would give Kartchner’s five locations: the original Krotz Springs shop, the Scott location, the Johnston Street store in Lafayette, the Crowley outpost, and now Youngsville.

The Youngsville expansion was reported in fall 2025. No official opening date has been announced.

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Categories: Lafayette News