Retail

A restaurant concept born in a food trailer in Austin, Texas 15 years ago has heated up the Westchase District dining scene while growing to become a regional favorite in 11 states. Torchy’s Tacos founder Mike Rypka set out to elevate the traditional street taco with unique flavor combinations. Rypka hit the sweet spot with taco lovers, building a menu out of experimental tacos that were coined by early fans as “damn good,” which continues…..Read More

It’s said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If so, a relatively new restaurant in Westchase District has got your mornings covered. With a thoughtfully prepared menu seven days a week, Eggcellence Bakery & Café caters to early morning and late morning appetites. Eggcellence opened two years ago at 10001 Westheimer Road in the Carillon Shopping Center. One step inside and the baked aroma emanating around you gives one impression: don’t…..Read More

John Vargas has been in the Cantina Laredo family for almost two decades. He began with the Dallas-based restaurant company when it had only four locations. In December 2003, it was looking to expand into a new market which brought Vargas to open its first Houston restaurant. The growing company selected the former site of Good Eats in Westchase District. While Vargas and his partners were not thinking long-term, the restaurant’s reception dictated other plans.…..Read More

Whether for lifelong sport, cleaner air, improving health, saving money on gas, less traffic, turning a work commute into a workout or just to feel the wind, people ride bikes for many reasons. And in Houston, cyclists peddle to Bike Barn. The retailer has been supporting the world of cycling since 1983. Serving Cycling Community Bike Barn’s market niche has been reinforced by increasing trends for bike commuting which has grown by 62 percent since…..Read More

As those living on shoe-string budgets during college can attest, instant ramen is a common staple in every dorm room mini-refrigerator. Easy to cook with boiling water or a microwave, mass production makes ramen even cheaper to buy. With his restaurant Ramen Jin, restaurateur and chef Brian Chen is changing how we think about ramen noodles. Ramen Jin isn’t serving your coed’s noodles. Chen’s ramen is notched up, Japanese style made with hand-pulled wheat noodles…..Read More

The road to national expansion for a Portland-based coffee company runs through Westchase District. Black Rock Coffee Bar opened in mid-November at 2620 W Sam Houston Pkwy S. Black Rock Coffee’s foray into the Southwest area began in Tony Lujan’s hometown of Phoenix. “We boomed out there and are now at 17 stores,” said Lujan, Black Rock’s co-regional manager of Texas. “Success in Arizona made Texas a natural next step, giving us a huge impetus…..Read More

A major new gas station and convenience store has emerged from the site of the former Kaleidoscope Center on Westheimer Road at Blue Willow Drive. And, it’s far from what you’d expect from a c-store. Officially opened on December 9, OnCue, a leading c-store operator in Oklahoma, arrived in Houston with a prominent presence for motorists driving through Westchase District or exiting the West Sam Houston Tollway. Located at 10612 Westheimer near Phillips 66’s corporate…..Read More

A great empanada starts with hands. Hands to make it and eat it. Wherever you’ve had an empanada in the world – South America, Mexico, Europe or Asia – you can appreciate that what you’re about to eat is a masterfully-crafted creation. The pastry’s dough is cut into 6-inch diameter circles. Next comes the filling: pork, chicken, beef, cheese, veggies or a combination thereof. Once loaded, it’s folded and the dough’s edge is pressed into…..Read More

Tina MacInnes was operating two of the highest volume restaurants in Salata’s growing restaurant chain system. Then, out of nowhere, COVID-19 strikes. Between the excitement of seeing her customers relish build-your-own salads and a dynamic transformation of her restaurant, a pandemic crashed the economy, putting her business in survival mode. New Year, new look, new challenge MacInnes unveiled a new look for her 10898 Westheimer Road location in January after using the Christmas holiday to…..Read More

Two years ago, the Houston area experienced a self-storage boom where new construction saw 6.7 million square feet added to the market. The city’s strong job and population growth contributed to this healthy industry climate. However, before the pandemic struck, construction began slowing. Developers added 1.3 million square feet of storage in 2019 compared to 3.8 million in 2018. “The three main reasons people use self-storage are death, divorce and displacement, all related to life…..Read More