Royse City New Restaurants on I-30: What's Open and What's Next

Over the past year, the I-30 frontage in Royse City added a Lowe's, a Chili's, a Mavis Tires & Brakes and the city's first Chick-fil-A. Two more restaurants are close behind. The H-E-B is still more than a year from completion. In May 2026, the Royse City Community Development Corporation (CDC) said groundbreaking for the H-E-B was "anticipated later this year." In August, H-E-B filed a construction record with the state that pushes the estimated start to January 4, 2027 and the estimated completion to January 28, 2028.

So along the highway, places to eat are arriving first, and the full-size grocery store is arriving last. If you want to know when something will actually open, check the paperwork filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). It has been a better guide than the ribbon-cutting announcements.

What has actually opened, in order

Here's what opened, in order, with the date each one became real:

1. Lowe's held its grand opening on Friday, November 21, 2025.
2. Chili's Grill & Bar at 410 W IH 30 is at the northeast corner of I-30 and Erby Campbell Blvd, next to Walmart and Lowe's. Construction started in late 2025. The Royse City Chamber held its ribbon cutting on March 16, 2026. The CDC called it a much-needed full-service dining option, with more than 80 new jobs.
3. Mavis Tires & Brakes at 360 West Interstate Highway 30 was already open when the CDC posted its June 16, 2026 update.
4. Chick-fil-A at 380 W Interstate 30 started serving on Thursday, July 2, 2026. It's part of the Royse City Summit development.

Chick-fil-A's timeline is a good guide for reading the projects still to come. On March 16, 2026, the CDC said the restaurant was under construction and expected to open "early summer in May or June." It opened July 2, just past the end of that window. A projected opening date is a target, and on this stretch of road the actual opening has come in after it.

The two October dates are construction estimates

The next two restaurants on the frontage are already in the TDLR system. Their dates are when construction is supposed to wrap up. They aren't opening dates.

• Pizza Ranch, 626 West I-30. Registered with TDLR on January 14, 2026, with an estimated start of February 1, 2026 and an estimated completion of October 1, 2026. The Royse City Herald-Banner described it as a buffet and arcade.
• Waffle House, 370 W Interstate 30. Registered on April 14, 2025, with an estimated start of May 1, 2026 and an estimated completion of October 30, 2026.

As of October 4, 2026, the Pizza Ranch completion estimate has passed, and we found no public confirmation that either restaurant is open or has a set first day. The Waffle House record was filed more than a year before its estimated start date. That gap shows how far ahead these projects get scheduled. Waffle House would sit at 370, between Mavis at 360 and Chick-fil-A at 380. That's three new addresses on one short run of frontage within about a year.

The Herald-Banner's roundup of upcoming businesses also names a QuikTrip truck stop at I-30 and FM 2642, across the highway from Buc-ee's, projected to finish in March 2027. The same article lists SweetFrog frozen yogurt, Sun Auto Tire & Service and Caliber Collision as coming soon, but it doesn't give their locations. Don't assume they'll be on the highway.

What the H-E-B filing says

On May 14, 2026, the CDC confirmed that H-E-B is coming to the Royse City Town Center development at I-30 and FM 2642. It said performance agreements and infrastructure commitments were signed in early 2026 and that the store fills a significant commercial gap for Rockwall County.

The state filing registered on August 3, 2026 gives more detail than any announcement so far:

That's about 13 months of estimated construction, starting roughly three months from now. If those estimates hold, the building would be finished about 16 months from today. The filing doesn't give an opening date. A store usually opens some time after the building is done, and the Chick-fil-A timeline shows these estimates can slip. A cautious reading puts H-E-B's opening sometime in 2028. Expecting it in 2027 means betting against the most recent official document.

The May announcement and the August filing don't contradict each other. They were written at different stages. The CDC was describing a deal that had been secured. The filing describes a construction schedule that has passed state review. When the two disagree on timing, go with the later document.

There's a second gap worth spelling out. The Chick-fil-A, Chili's and Pizza Ranch projects each went from announcement to building within a single year. At 139,271 square feet, the H-E-B is a much bigger build, and a single-story grocery store doesn't go up on a restaurant timeline. That's why groceries come last on this frontage.

What the frontage doesn't change

The new frontage businesses are restaurants, car care, home improvement and, eventually, groceries. The city's fall and holiday calendar is still downtown on Main Street, and none of the dates below involve the highway:

• Music on Main at Cookston Court, 111 E Main St, runs every Friday from September 4 through October 30, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The concerts are free. Four Fridays are left this season.
• The Main Street Pumpkin Patch at Old Jail Park, 305 E Main Street, gets its pumpkin delivery on October 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. October hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 12:30 to 5 p.m.
• The 36th Royse City Chamber FunFest is Saturday, October 17, noon to 6 p.m., at Ouida Baley Middle School, 1310 TX-66. Admission is free, and some activities need separate tickets. The city's online calendar may still show the 2025 FunFest on October 18. Go by the Chamber's 2026 listing.
• The Christmas Tree Lighting is December 1, 6:30 to 7 p.m., at Cookston Court, with RCISD choirs performing.
• The Christmas Parade of Lights is Saturday, December 12, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. downtown. This year's theme is "Red Lights and Blue."

One of the newer places to eat in town is also on Main Street. Iron Plow, a sports bar and restaurant at 105 W Main St, opened around the same time as Lowe's. The mayor, Janet Nichol, and State Senator Bob Hall joined the Royse City Tri-County Chamber of Commerce for its grand opening celebration.

What to watch through the end of the year

Three things will show whether the frontage is on schedule:

1. Pizza Ranch and Waffle House opening dates. Both construction estimates fall in October 2026. A Chamber ribbon-cutting notice is the most likely first sign that a date is set, as it was for Chili's.
2. Any updated H-E-B filing or CDC notice. The current record shows a January 4, 2027 start. A revised filing or a groundbreaking announcement would confirm or move that date.
3. QuikTrip at I-30 and FM 2642. Its March 2027 projection puts it next in line after the restaurants, and it shares the FM 2642 intersection with the future H-E-B site.

If you own a home in Royse City and want to know how a dated project like the H-E-B or the QuikTrip fits into your own timing, Jenn Laws keeps track of these filings and can walk you through what's confirmed and what's still an estimate. Schedule a free consultation.