Traveler’s Cart in Montrose to close after owner’s death lawsuit

Traveler’s Cart will serve its last meal Friday at 1401 Montrose Boulevard, ending a Montrose dining room that had become part of the neighborhood’s regular food scene. The closure comes as the family of Thy Mai, also known as Thy Mitchell, files a wrongful-death lawsuit against the estate of Matthew Mitchell.

The Houston restaurant opened Oct. 23, 2024, as a modern, global street-food concept with a full-service dining experience. That puts its run in Montrose at nearly two years, a short life for a business in one of Houston’s most heavily trafficked restaurant corridors.

The shutdown follows the deaths of Thy Mitchell, Matthew Mitchell and their two children, who were found in a River Oaks residence in May in what Houston police called an apparent murder-suicide. By May 6, the Houston and Texas restaurant communities were already mourning Thy Mitchell, who was remembered as a connector and supporter of small businesses.

Traveler’s Cart’s sister restaurant, Traveler’s Table, will stay open. The business announced the Montrose closure on July 27, and other local coverage confirmed that Friday, July 31, would be the final service date.

For regular customers, the practical deadline is simple: Traveler’s Cart is done after Friday’s service, and the Montrose location will no longer be taking diners after that night. For the Mitchell family, the legal fight is just beginning, with the wrongful-death claim now moving forward against Matthew Mitchell’s estate.