Spaghetti Warehouse has kept its promise to return to Houston after the popular downtown restaurant at 901 Commerce was destroyed in the flooding of Hurricane Harvey.

The Dallas-based company announced Monday it will re-enter the Houston dining scene with a new concept that pays tribute to the old Spaghetti Warehouse menu. Warehouse 72, a new family-oriented, communal dining restaurant under the Spaghetti Warehouse corporate umbrella, will open by the end of the year or early 2019.

"Exactly one year ago, Spaghetti Warehouse faced a turbulent and uncertain future after the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey – including the destruction of the longtime Spaghetti Warehouse home in downtown Houston," said Michael Kim, president of Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants. "With the Houston location being in a flood zone, we lost the entire operation – a crippling blow to the overall Spaghetti Warehouse brand. It has been a very difficult circumstance in the months that ensured, but we really wanted to come back despite the many challenges associated."

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Indeed, the Houston restaurant, the brand's second location overall, was a major part of the company's business. The flood-prone building's new owners recently announced its intention to open a street market and bar at the historic building site.

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Warehouse 72 – a merger of the Spaghetti Warehouse name and the year it was founded in Dallas – will go up at 7620 Katy Fwy. (at Silber at I-10) in a former Asian food space in the Marq*E Entertainment Center. It is expected to open by the end of the year or early 2019. It's a much smaller space: 8,400 square feet compared to downtown's 20,000 square feet (seating will be 300 compared to the 500 to 600 diners that could be accommodated at the former location).

But as a new concept, Warehouse 72 will offer more than the existing Spaghetti Warehouse menu, Kim said. While still embracing the most popular lasagna and pasta dishes, the new spot will also feature pizza and meat dishes such as Italian brisket, short ribs and porchetta (roasted pork belly).

"It's something we're really excited about," Kim said. "We're keeping the classic components but bringing the brand to 2018."

The kitchen will be under the direction of executive chef Don Flores, most recently executive chef of Katsuya in Los Angeles, whose resume also includes New York restaurants such as Tao.

The restaurant's décor will feature a contemporary design with raw materials such as brick, wood and concrete blocks. An open exhibition kitchen will be the focal point of the restaurant that will also feature a 740-square-foot patio. Kim said some design elements salvaged from the flooded downtown restaurant will be incorporated in the buildout. But he wants to keep those pieces a surprise for fans when the new restaurant opens.

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Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants has put a lot of faith in the new brand. After debuting in Houston the company hopes to open Warehouse 72s in Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio, Kim said.

To celebrate the announcement of Warehouse 72, the company will hold a pop-up dinner today from 4 to 8 p.m. at Evelyn's Park, 4400 Bellaire. The menu ($15 for adults, $8 for children) will feature combination plates of Spaghetti Warehouse classics and Warehouse 72 specialties. A portion of sales will be donated to the Evelyn's Park Conservancy.

Greg Morago writes about food for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Send him news tips at greg.morago@chron.com. Follow him on the podcast BBQ State of Mind to learn about Houston and Texas barbecue culture.