Retail

Depending on when you were born, you may have differing ideas of what a robot should look like from your parents or younger siblings. The 1960s animated series “The Jetsons” envisioned Rosey, the robotic housekeeper of the Jetson Family, dutiful and dependable, while 1987’s RoboCop featured scary crime-eradicating cyborgs. The reality in 2024 is that robots can be used to eliminate repetitive tasks, freeing up human employees to handle more appropriate tasks. Brothers Keith and…..Read More

Redevelopment of the former Halliburton campus in Westchase District is officially underway, marking the start of a major mixed-use project called Park Eight Place. Houston-based Johnson Development Services has completed the demolition of most of the 50-acre campus at 10200 Bellaire Blvd., except for a parking garage. The first phase of construction, which includes streets and infrastructure, is expected to begin in January. Park Eight Place will feature a mix of residential units, office buildings and…..Read More

Quick Bites and Slow Sips: Veteran Restaurateur and Ambitious Newcomer Offer Distinct Food and Beverage Choices. In the Market at Westchase, a retail center on Westheimer Rd., two generations of Westchase District restaurants have become neighbors, showcasing the area’s unique dining scene. Ramen Jin, a veteran in the area, dishes out swift, satisfying bowls of ramen, while Cafe Tales, the new kid on the block, brews up an experience meant to be savored.   Ramen…..Read More

Stop by Lux Nail Spa almost any day of the week and you’ll find Antoine Hai Pham and wife Amy Vi Tran working at their appropriately-named Lux Nail Spa. Lux was an original tenant at Woodlake Square after the entire center, including its anchor Randalls store, was demolished and rebuilt in 2011. “I have a background in real estate and Amy always had a dream of owning a salon,” said Antoine. “It took us a…..Read More

After more than 20 years combined experience in the restaurant industry, Marisa and Patrick Ashby decided they were ready to start their own. While on a hike together, the idea to do something with ice cream struck them. They were familiar with SMOOSH Cookies, which started as a Houston-based food truck selling ice cream sandwiches in 2015. Marisa and Patrick reached out and soon after became franchisees, opening the second Houston-area brick and mortar location…..Read More

According to Forbes, EV sales accounted for 5.6% of the total auto market in the second quarter of 2022 – up from 2.7% in the second quarter of 2021. As electric vehicles gain popularity and market share, retailers and employers alike are working to meet the demand for charging stations. Two charging stations have operated at the Robinson-Westchase Library on Wilcrest for many years. And the multi-bay “superchargers” have served area Tesla drivers since the…..Read More

Sitting in the store’s lamp section was a 65-inch floor lamp in an oil-rubbed bronze finish. It looked brand new. Its round shade in a cream canvas color was exactly what the shopper needed to complement his living area. Making the find even better was its price - $20 compared to $70 - $100 at Home Depot or Lowe’s. These bargains make West Houston Assistance Ministries’ (WHAM) Resale Store shopping experience the best deal in…..Read More

In 2009, Somali pirates took Captain Phillips and his crew hostage. In a crisis that gripped headline news and spawned a Hollywood movie, Phillips’ ship, the Maersk Alabama, was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden. It was one of 20,000 merchant ships sailing through a vital artery of world trade that opened into two million square miles of water comprised of the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman. These acts of piracy posed…..Read More

Pacha Nikkei Merges Two International Cuisines with New Restaurant What do you get when two great culinary traditions intersect? Serving Japanese and Peruvian fusion cuisine, Pacha Nikkei recently opened in Carillon Shopping Center next to Marble Slab Creamery. Chef-owner Masaru Fukuda curates and creates the recipes influenced by his Japanese-Peruvian ancestry. Fukuda's concept centers around Nikkei food which comes from Peruvian ingredients - tropical fish, quinoa, Amarillo peppers - molded by techniques perfected in Japan. Ceviche is…..Read More

Zafar Anvarov wanted soccer cleats and his own bicycle when he was a young boy. Anvarov eventually got both by earning money working in his dad’s restaurant at the age of 7. In 2005, Anvarov arrived in the U.S. from Tajikistan, a mountainous country in Central Asia that was once part of the Soviet Union. He came for college but needed to pay for his tuition. “My life was to work in restaurants while studying…..Read More