News/Events

“We need to stay in business. My employees need their jobs.” Tina MacInnes’ words echo the paramount sense of urgency facing hundreds of thousands of businesses across the nation. A leading Salata franchise owner, MacInnes joined local elected officials and economic development professionals at an event hosted at her restaurant. MacInnes’ message found a receptive audience as they all celebrated the launch of Bounce Back Westchase. The campaign was created by Minuteman Press Westchase and…..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

Stressing fun, John Boriack brings leadership skills to HAA and Westchase District John Boriack punched his ticket to commercial real estate success in a very unusual way when, after graduating from high school, he accepted his parents’ offer to take the money they’d saved for college and launch a business instead. “I set out to find an industry where no one in my family had any experience and I found it in commercial real estate,”…..Read More

For 36 years, Quillian has offered summer camps, giving kids exceptional opportunities during the summer, while their parents go to work knowing their children are playing and having fun in a safe environment. COVID-19 halted many things, but it couldn’t halt camp, not very long anyway. “We were forced to close our spring break camp after just one day,” said Quillian Center Director Tom Gaden. Quillian was closed all of April and most of May…..Read More

It’s a project more than ten years in the making. Construction began in February on Westchase District’s $16 million project to transform Westheimer Road. When the Westchase District Board of Directors created its long-range plan in 2006, one of the six actionable goals was to “transform streets into more attractive and convenient places.” Today, that goal is being realized in two separate multi-million dollar projects: the complete rebuild of Walnut Bend Lane and the upcoming…..Read More

Broth known as pho is one essence of Vietnamese cuisine. Bánh mì, the Vietnamese word for bread, is the other. Not just any type of bread but a baguette which is split lengthwise. It’s a signature menu item that is stuffed to please at newly opened Bánh Mì Bon AT 10555 Westheimer Road. Specializing in baguettes and traditional Vietnamese dishes, Bánh Mì Bon owner Hien Huynh makes sandwiches filled with savory ingredients like grilled chicken,…..Read More

For three months people stayed at home while their exercise routines went idle. Because how we work-out involves customized and individually-designed programs, gym closures made it difficult to continue well-established routines. Many at-home spaces lack nautilus machines, treadmills, free weights and indoor studios for cardio and pilates. In Westchase District there is no shortage of fitness centers. As restrictions on gym use were recently lifted, many in the District have reopened. Blink Fitness was the…..Read More

Jim Russ represents the “R” in EHRA Engineering. As the second generation of his family to be part of EHRA, Russ led the 83-year old engineering company into its biggest transition to date: new offices at 10011 Meadowglen. Having been in a company-owned building on Westoffice Drive for 32 years, EHRA moved into the newly-leased space at the beginning of January. Meanwhile, Kelly Hall, CEO of Harvey Builders, was leading his company on a similar…..Read More

Phase one of Governor Abbott's reopening Texas includes restaurants, perhaps the hardest hit businesses by the COVID-19 crisis. Restaurants of all categories, from franchise-owned and operated, company-owned to independent saw dine-in customers come to an abrupt stop. The crisis affected staffing levels and resulted in a significant loss of revenue - especially for independent owners in the industry who helplessly watch cash flow evaporate. Furthermore, when dining rooms open, there’ll be reduced seating capacity and…..Read More