Excitement filled 713 Music Hall last November when the Michelin Guide held its inaugural ceremony for Texas in downtown Houston. The invite-only event allowed chefs from all over the state to switch out their usual stain-filled fits for suits and fancy dresses—and for once, they were the ones being wined and dined.

By the end of the night, 116 Texas restaurants walked away with Michelin stars, Bib Gourmands, and other recognitions. Houston came home with 30 of those, including six stars. Now, a different buzz fills the walls of those restaurants every night as Houstonians and visitors flock to grab a bite of what the chefs are offering. And while the uptick in business is a boon for local restaurants, it also comes with more pressure to live up to the star—and keep it.

Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó says it’s normal to have slower nights earlier in the week, with the crowd picking up on weekends. But since earning a star, his tasting-menu restaurant in Spring Branch has been at full capacity every night.

“We no longer see the difference between a Friday and a Wednesday,” Chavez says. “It’s just survival mode every week.”

The same goes for March, Goodnight Hospitality’s fine-dining spot in Montrose, which is also tasting menu–only. Chef-partner Felipe Riccio says the business increase has been incredible since receiving the accolade. The restaurant is already on the small side, accommodating 40 to 50 people at a time, and now, they’re hitting capacity consistently. “There’s no comparison,” Riccio says.

For BCN Taste and Tradition, which has been around for 10 years now, busy was always in its nature, but just like every other restaurant, the beginning of the week was always slower. Chef Luis Roger says the Montrose restaurant would typically operate at about 80 percent capacity Mondays through Thursdays, then would hit 100 percent on weekends.

BCN general manager Jerry Arguelles says the restaurant has actually cut back on the number of people they’ll take on weekends because it’s been so busy; they want to be sure they continue to give each guest a great experience.

Over at Le Jardinier in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, executive chef Felipe Botero says the restaurant has also seen an uptick in diners, which has been inspiring to his staff. “Earning a Michelin star has been a lifelong dream, and now that the initial excitement has settled, it still feels surreal,” Botero says.

The Michelin Guide even has more people heading into dreadful Galleria traffic to try Musaafer. Now that the upscale Indian restaurant has a star, executive chef Mayank Istwal says they’ve seen people drive in from all over, including the outskirts of town, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. He’s also heard from his staff that some visitors have flown in from New York, which is something he had hoped would happen once the guide was introduced in Texas.

“The guide has given people a purpose to come to [Houston] to just dine in,” Istwal says.

And like Botero, earning a star from the Michelin Guide was always high on Istwal’s list of goals. He jokes this is because when he married his wife, that was her only ask—high five to him.

Michelin didn’t just award stars to Houston’s fanciest restaurants. More casual spots, especially those serving barbecue, also got a spotlight at the ceremony. All the way in Spring at Corkscrew BBQ, co-owner Nichole Buckman, who works alongside her husband, Will, says it’s a different kind of busy than what they’re used to, especially on Saturdays. New faces now walk through their doors on weekends, while regulars stick to weekdays or online orders to avoid the crowd.

While Corkscrew has always been a destination for local ’cue enthusiasts, the team is getting used to people specifically coming in because of the guide. Buckman says they want to try a little bit of everything, so rather than ordering one plate with a normal meal, they’ll have food piled onto three trays. To keep up, the Buckmans have started using their travel pit on Saturdays to cook more ribs.

The six restaurants are taking different approaches to maintaining their star—or to possibly be given a second in this year’s ceremony. But they don’t necessarily plan on doing anything differently.

“We are just doing what we did to earn the Michelin star,” Buckman says. “Don’t change anything, that’s the worst thing you can do.”

At March, which closes for a month between seasonal menu changes, Riccio says they have a unique opportunity to reflect and make each experience better for their guests. The goal is to only achieve more, he adds.

These restaurants had already been operating at an elevated level. For Istwal, it was important to have a structure in place. Musaafer offers a detailed training program to educate its workers on specific ingredients, flavor profiles, allergies, and most importantly, Indian culture. Both March and Musaafer teach their staff about the stories and inspiration for the dishes, so they can relate that to each diner.

The only change that people might start seeing at Musaafer involves the tasting menu, which rotates seasonally. Istwal plans to include a booklet that will highlight his journey as a chef—including photos—and the philosophy behind the dishes.

“When you get a star, you have a responsibility to maintain it and then take it to a different level after that,” Istwal says.

Since opening Tatemó three years ago—and even before the guide announced its expansion to Texas—Chavez also says the goal has always been to operate like a Michelin-starred restaurant. Although the restaurant’s structure won’t change, the uptick in traffic has allowed him to start slowly investing in the space, adding things here and there as he sees fit. He wants to continue to take care of the restaurant as much as possible, so he and his staff can uphold their end of the bargain to Houstonians.

“Once you have something, you appreciate it, and then you don’t want to touch it,” Chavez says.