When Midwest buffet chain Pizza Ranch teased a 9,942-square-foot restaurant at 5307 Walzem Rd. in September 2025, it was set to be Texas’ first location. Since then, the company has started work on outposts in Tyler and Waco, but the long-delayed Windcrest restaurant is now moving forward after clearing a hurdle with the city’s Economic Development Corporation.

There hasn’t been much visible progress on the former Luby’s building since Pizza Ranch filed 2025 project details with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The interiors have been whiteboxed — or stripped to a move-in-ready shell — but it wasn’t clear that the chain was moving forward with the debut. A rep with the Walzem Retail Center confirmed that the restaurant was in the works back in September, but Pizza Ranch still shied away from a public announcement.

But during a recent Economic Development Corporation meeting, city officials approved the facade and landmark signage for the space, clearing the way for a 2027 opening. The exact date is yet to be set.

19-year-old Adrie Groeneweg opened the first Pizza Ranch in Hull, Iowa, in 1981 with an initial investment from his father. Two years later, a Minnesota businessman helped him franchise the concept. Today, it is one of the most recognizable pizza brands in the Midwest.

Perhaps echoing the tastes of a hungry teenager, the chain’s offerings won’t be entirely familiar to local fans of Mr. Gatti’s. Although the buffet includes some traditional pies like pepperoni and sausage, the specialty pies include unconventional offerings like Da Big Popper with whipped cream cheese, hot honey, and Italian sausage; the Texas Taco with beef, taco sauce, shredded lettuce, and crushed tortilla chips; and a pizza loaded with mac ‘n’ cheese.

Pizza Ranch is also as known for its fried chicken as it is for its pies. The 1987 introduction brought along a few unexpected pizzeria sides. Alongside pizza standbys like breadsticks and wings, the restaurant also offers mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, biscuits, and corn.

Many of Pizza Ranch’s locations include an adjacent arcade called the Pizza Ranch Fun Zone. It’s unclear whether the San Antonio outpost will have video games, but it will include an adjacent events center.

Although the opening timeline has yet to be revealed, Pizza Ranch is further along in the process than many of its neighbors may have thought. According to the Development Corp presentation, the site is fully permitted, demolition is complete, and a contractor has been selected for the $4.6 million project.