As Bill Fanning, Katy Crossing Icehouse owner, tells it, the goal was to create a classy, upscale date night kind of place in Downtown Katy. A place, he said, where people would feel comfortable in bringing their family.
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As Bill Fanning, Katy Crossing Icehouse owner, tells it, the goal was to create a classy, upscale date night kind of place in Downtown Katy. A place, he said, where people would feel comfortable in bringing their family.
The icehouse, at 5733 2nd St., is off to a good start. Following a last-minute sprint to finish the construction work, it opened on Super Bowl Sunday—perhaps “kicked off” would be a good term here—and has attracted visitors to the downtown area while serving drinks and featuring live music.
“It was pretty crazy,” Fanning said. “We’ve just had nothing but great support from the City of Katy, and we couldn’t be more grateful.”
On March 17, partygoers who came to the O’Katy St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Shindig in Downtown Katy saw—and heard—for themselves what the icehouse was all about. The shindig, organized by the Fulshear-Katy Area Chamber of Commerce, was the first of its kind in Downtown Katy. It also served as a precursor to the Katy Market Day, held March 18 in Downtown Katy.
The icehouse opens at noon, Fanning said, but for Katy Market Day he planned to open it earlier to help welcome the crowds.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Fanning said. “People are just pouring in. The people of Katy have been nothing but supportive. They keep telling me, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m glad you’re here.’”
Fanning has worked as a homebuilding company CEO. His wife, Holly, is a real estate broker who has focused on properties in The Woodlands and Cypress.
Yet they always loved the Katy area. One day, they were shopping downtown and decided to get something to eat. There are restaurants nearby, but dining options in the heart of downtown, at that time, were limited. They decided to do something about that.
“It was kind of our a-ha moment,” Fanning said. “When this building became available, we jumped on it. It came together. I wanted it to come together sooner, obviously, but a lot of things got in the way and I got it opened as quick as I could.”
Food trucks provide the food for the patrons. As for drinks, the icehouse offers a variety of draft, domestic and import beers. It also offers wines, cocktails and other liquors.
The icehouse is the first of two dining-and-drink options in the downtown area. Construction continues at the other restaurant, Southern Dough Baking Company, 908 Ave. B. The opening date has not been set as final preparations continue. When open, it will offer sandwiches, salads and dinners.
“Downtown Katy is a really cute town, loaded with history,” Fanning said. “The antique shops are just loaded with some of your new best friends. There’s soon going to be a lot to do down here.”