Author: Mike

Work has started to at least partially demolish the former Fry’s on West Road and I-45 in preparation for Joe V’s occupying the space. HEB filed permits earlier this year indicating that a Joe V’s was headed for this site, and signs posted within the past couple of weeks confirm the new tenant will indeed be taking over the land. HEB has not announced if they plan to build an entirely new structure, but this …

Conn’s Home Plus, which recently announced its plans to liquidate its entire chain, is currently holding out-of-business sales throughout Houston. I wanted to stop by a Conn’s, as I hadn’t been into one in years, and see what I was missing. I decided to visit the 9567 S Main St, Houston, TX 77025 location as I was already in the area, and honestly, I was not super surprised by what I saw. The last time …

Last week, Mexico-based Oxxo announced its plans to enter the U.S. convenience store market by purchasing DK Gas Stations. The DK brand is most prominent in Texas, mainly in West and Northern Texas. DK is an interesting story, as it is a relatively new company. However, it will come to a quick end when Oxxo converts its stores. Owned by refiner Delek, these DK stores were, until recently, 7-Eleven’s franchisor throughout rural parts of Texas. …

Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today, we’re having a closeout on photos of the 99 Cents Only Store’s final days. The photos were all taken within the chain’s last two weeks of business and show how much was actually left, which was quite a bit for a liquidation. Rather than getting into the nitty-gritty of the chain’s downfall, I want to take a moment to wax poetic. My experiences with this …

  Health-conscious discount grocer Trader Joe’s is making great progress on the former Sugar Land Sprouts location it announced it would take over earlier this year. After Sprouts left in 2023, the location remained vacant, and fixtures were auctioned off. Sprout’s rationale for closing the store was that it was oversized for their operations, and Trader Joe’s has walled off about 2/3 of the original store for their use, with the other portion for potential …

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to HHR. Today, we’re visiting a former Finger Furniture showroom, which has been serving as what is likely the largest Value Village in the Houston area for a good 20 or so years now. This store at 9500 Jensen Road opened as a Finger showroom in 1962. At the time, it was out in the suburbs of Northern Houston, a rapidly growing area. While homes had already been constructed further …

Greenspoint Mall closed last month, according to major news outlets. I was contacted multiple times about my lack of coverage and was even accused of being “asleep at the wheel.” The reality is that I had heard through the pipeline that Greenspoint Mall had at least another few weeks left. However, my source, who asked to remain anonymous, also asked me to withhold the information, as they weren’t 100% sure this would occur. My own …

Last week, Conn’s HomePlus announced that it was closing about 100 locations as part of an impending bankruptcy filing. The locations included both Conn’s stores and Badcock Home Furniture, a chain that Conn’s picked up at the end of 2023. However, between the release of the initial closing list and the publication of court documents, the tide apparently turned, with Conn’s choosing to completely wind down operations instead. There are around 45 Conn’s locations in …

Eight years ago, 59 Diner shut down after a 29-year run; now, the building sits waiting for a return to use. During the very end, I sat tableside and watched Rome burn. The diner’s start occurred in 1987 when a group of restaurants from Dallas took over a building from the 50s that was most recently known as Phil’s Restaurant. Phil’s had been a perennial favorite since the 50s, moving West as the town grew, …

Special shoutout to HHR reader Ty J. who let me know about the new signs going up. Dollar General Market signs surprised Houstonians this week, as they were recently hung on a closed Walgreens on the west side. The former drug store, located at 1838 S Kirkwood Rd, Houston, TX 77077, permanently closed late last year as part of Walgreens’ broader cuts. Dollar General quietly filed plans to open a store here earlier this year, …