13 New Restaurants Coming to Lafayette in 2026

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — We just ran down every new restaurant already open in the Lafayette area this spring, and the list was long. But the stuff that hasn’t opened yet might be even more interesting.

A Cajun-Asian seafood spot expanding from New Iberia. A second Chipotle on Johnston Street. Insomnia Cookies downtown. A new Fat Pat’s. Bayou Teche Brewing inside a brand-new hotel. A beer garden going up next to where Trader Joe’s is being built. Walk-On’s heading to Carencro with a new smaller design. And that’s not all of it.

None of these are open yet, but all of them are in some stage of construction or planning. Here’s what we know about each one.

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1. King’s Seafood

Where: 6921 Ambassador Caffery Parkway at South Bernard Road, Broussard (next to Fat Pat’s)

Timeline: Coming soon, no opening date confirmed

What we know: King’s Seafood currently operates in New Iberia and Abbeville, and the Broussard location will be its third restaurant. Think Cajun-meets-Asian seafood: po’boys, fried fish, shrimp, crawfish, lo mein, fried rice, and egg rolls.

According to Developing Lafayette, the site at the corner of Ambassador Caffery and South Bernard Road was originally announced in 2022 as the future home of Coterie, a New Orleans-based restaurant and oyster bar. That project never moved forward locally. The property went up for sale, and King’s Seafood picked it up.

2. Insomnia Cookies

Where: 505 Jefferson Street, downtown Lafayette (between Hub City Cycles and Teche Drugs Pharmacy)

Timeline: Coming soon, announced February 2026

What we know: The late-night cookie chain is coming to Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette. According to Developing Lafayette, the store will sit between Hub City Cycles and Teche Drugs Pharmacy on a stretch of Jefferson that keeps adding new businesses.

Insomnia Cookies is known for warm, fresh-baked cookies delivered late into the night, plus cookie cakes, brownies, and ice cream. UL Lafayette students and downtown nightlife regulars should pay attention to this one.

Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

3. Chipotle (Second Lafayette Location)

Where: 3220 Johnston Street (pending demolition of the building housing Sticks Billiards and Spirits, Dawn Nails, and Johnston Street Coin Laundry)

Timeline: No demolition date announced

What we know: A second Chipotle is in the works for Johnston Street. According to Developing Lafayette, the building at 3220 Johnston, which currently houses Sticks Billiards and Spirits, Dawn Nails, and Johnston Street Coin Laundry, will need to come down first.

Lafayette’s first Chipotle opened at 4231 Ambassador Caffery Parkway inside the Ambassador Crossing shopping center near Whole Foods. No timeline has been announced for the Johnston Street location.

4. Fat Pat’s Kitchen

Where: 6004 Johnston Street, Lafayette (across from the Southside Regional Library)

Timeline: Under construction, no opening date announced

What we know: Fat Pat’s is building its seventh location on Johnston Street. According to Developing Lafayette, the brand has started using “Fat Pat’s Kitchen” in some of its marketing, which might mean a name change is coming across all locations. No word yet on whether it’s permanent.

Fat Pat’s has a loyal following across south Louisiana for its bar and grill menu. The Johnston Street spot is going in across from the Southside Regional Library, one of the busier stretches of the road.

5. Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Where: 1209 Albertson Parkway, Broussard (former Taco Bell)

Timeline: Coming soon

What we know: A new Tropical Smoothie Cafe is moving into the former Taco Bell space on Albertson Parkway in Broussard. According to Developing Lafayette, it’ll carry the chain’s usual lineup of smoothies, wraps, flatbreads, and bowls. Lafayette Parish already has a Tropical Smoothie on Ambassador Caffery Parkway.

Credit: Walk-On's

6. Walk-On’s (Carencro)

Where: Carencro, near Prejean's

Timeline: Coming soon

What we know: A new Walk-On’s is headed to Carencro, and this one will look different from the Walk-On’s locations you’re used to. According to Lafayette Travel, the Carencro location will use Walk-On’s latest prototype design at roughly 5,300 to 5,500 square feet. That’s about half the size of the original 10,000-square-foot model. Smaller footprint, same concept.

7. Bánh Mì House

Where: 302 Jefferson Street, downtown Lafayette

Timeline: Coming soon

What we know: A Vietnamese sandwich, coffee, and fresh-baked pastry shop is coming to Jefferson Street downtown. According to Developing Lafayette, Bánh Mì House will add to a downtown corridor that’s been picking up new food and retail businesses steadily. Between this and Insomnia Cookies a few blocks away at 505 Jefferson, the downtown dining scene is getting a real boost in 2026.

8. Bayou Teche Brewing & Cajun Saucer Wood-fired Pizza

Where: Ground floor of the future Hotel Lafayette, 301 E. Vermilion Street at Taylor Street, downtown Lafayette

Timeline: Tied to hotel construction

What we know: Bayou Teche Brewing, the Arnaudville-based craft brewery, is bringing a new brewery and restaurant to the ground floor of Hotel Lafayette downtown. According to KPEL, the $19 million hotel project is being developed by Sans Souci Properties in partnership with The Thrash Group and Tandem Hospitality Group. The hotel will also have 2,500 square feet of event space.

Cajun Saucer, which runs a wood-fired pizza concept, will be part of the ground-floor restaurant. The hotel was supposed to break ground in 2025 with a mid-2026 opening target, but no updated timeline has come out.

9. Beer Garden / Ice House (South Lafayette)

Where: Bluebird Drive and Camellia Boulevard corridor, south Lafayette (next to the Trader Joe’s construction site)

Timeline: Planning stage

What we know: An indoor-outdoor beer garden or “ice house” style venue is planned for the Bluebird and Camellia corridor on the south side. According to Developing Lafayette, the venue would sit right next to where Trader Joe’s is currently under construction. Nobody knows who’s behind it or when it’ll open, but the location is hard to ignore. That part of south Lafayette has been adding new businesses at a steady clip.

10. SMASH Pickleball & Restaurant (Second Location)

Where: Former Lafayette Health Club, 2905 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette

Timeline: Target of fall 2026

What we know: The first SMASH opened in Sugar Mill Pond in Youngsville in March, and a second is already in the works. According to Developing Lafayette, the Kaliste Saloom location will have rooftop dining overlooking the pickleball courts, giving it a different feel from the Youngsville spot.

KATC reported a fall 2026 target for the Lafayette location.

11. Bistrology Brunch & Coffee (Youngsville)

Where: 2810 Chemin Metairie Parkway, Youngsville (former Cajun Market Meats)

Timeline: Coming soon, no opening date confirmed

What we know: Bistrology on Ambassador Caffery has been one of the buzziest restaurant openings in Lafayette this year, and a second location is already in the works for Youngsville. According to Developing Lafayette, the Youngsville restaurant will go into the former Cajun Market Meats space on Chemin Metairie Parkway.

Owner Ruben Chavez told The Advocate the Youngsville opening would follow the Lafayette location. No date has been set.

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12. Miko’s Donuts (Second Location)

Where: Lafayette (exact address not disclosed)

Timeline: Coming soon

What we know: Miko’s Donuts, the popular Broussard shop known for its “Mikronuts” (croissant-donuts), kolaches, savory stuffed croissants, breakfast tacos, and specialty coffee drinks, is adding a Lafayette location. According to What Now New Orleans, the company teased the new location in a Scooby Doo-themed video but hasn’t said where it’ll be.

Owners Trey and Julie Mikolajczyk founded the shop more than five years ago. Julie’s family had owned a donut shop in Lafayette for about 20 years before that.

13. Destination Pointe Restaurant Spaces (Scott)

Where: I-10 frontage road off Highway 93, Scott (Destination Pointe development)

Timeline: Construction underway, expected completion late 2026

What we know: A big commercial project is going up in Scott with a large convenience store (about 20 fuel pumps, 6,000 to 8,000 square feet) and two restaurant spaces. One is a 2,000-square-foot space attached to the main building with a drive-thru. The other is a standalone quick-service restaurant with its own drive-thru.

According to Developing Lafayette, no restaurant tenants have been confirmed for either space. Golden Chick and Shaq’s Big Chicken have been rumored for the broader Destination Pointe area, but neither has been connected to this specific project.

And About That Trader Joe’s...

It’s not a restaurant, but it would be weird to write about Lafayette’s 2026 food pipeline without mentioning it. Trader Joe’s is under construction on Camellia Boulevard near River Ranch. According to Developing Lafayette, walls are going up and an opening could land anywhere from mid-2026 to early fall. Newsweek recently confirmed the Lafayette store is on the company’s 2026 opening list. It will be the fifth Trader Joe’s in Louisiana.