Matthew and Thy Mitchell owned two well-known restaurants in Houston, Texas

A well-known Texas restaurateur couple and their two children have been found dead at their home in an apparent murder-suicide, according to reports.

Matthew Mitchell, 52, and his wife Thy Mitchell, 39, ran the Traveler’s Table and Traveler’s Cart eateries in the Montrose area of Houston, which have been featured on Food Network reality shows including Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri.

The couple were found dead of shotgun wounds alongside their eight-year-old daughter and four-year-old son at their home on Kingston Street in River Oaks at approximately 5.30 p.m. Monday, the Houston Police Department said.

Matthew and Thy Mitchell owned and operated two restaurants together in Houston, Texas, the Traveler's Table and the Traveler's Cart

Matthew and Thy Mitchell owned and operated two restaurants together in Houston, Texas, the Traveler’s Table and the Traveler’s Cart (Thy Mitchell/Facebook)

“HPD patrol officers responded to a welfare check at a residence at the above address,” detectives said in a statement.

“They were told a family had not been heard from or seen since the previous night. Officers entered the residence and located four unresponsive individuals with gunshot wounds.

“Evidence on scene indicated the incident was a murder-suicide in which the male shot the three victims and then shot himself.”

Officers said in a subsequent update that a family babysitter had raised the alarm and ultimately found the children dead in their beds.

According to KHOU, the babysitter and a relative had become concerned after they went 24 hours without hearing from the family.

The local station added that there was no record of any previous domestic disturbances at their address.

While the HPD has not formally identified the victims, Thy Mitchell’s sister Ly Mai revealed her death and those of the children on Facebook.

“We are heartbroken to share that my sister, Thy, and her beloved children, Maya and Max, passed away last night,” she wrote.

“Our family is grieving deeply and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult time. Funeral arrangements will be shared when they are available. Thank you for your understanding and support.”

A biography of Matthew Mitchell on the Traveler’s Table website states that he earned a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and studied in France, Italy, and at Oxford University, before working as a journalist in Europe and New York.

He then attended Rice University’s Jesse H Jones School of Management in Texas and worked in the pharmaceutical industry before ultimately entering the restaurant business with his wife.

Thy Mitchell is described as a Houston native whose mother and grandmother ran a small local Vietnamese restaurant.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and a master’s degree from Penn State University before working in HR for three Fortune 500 companies in the hospitality and retail sectors before opening the Traveler’s Table with her spouse.