Author: Mike

Bojangles made big news last year when it finally looked like they would fulfill a years-long promise to return to Houston. To the majority who don’t remember Bojangle’s first go in Texas, it only lasted about a year from late 1983 to 1985 and made it to less than 15 locations before folding at the end of 1985. While the first go around didn’t leave much legacy beyond some empty restaurants, the desire in Texas …

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to HHR. Today, we’re taking another moment for a “Fuddsdate,” first, I’d like to address the elephant in the room: no, Fuddruckers is not closing all its locations. That seems to be related to an incorrect TikTok that was spread around in the last couple of weeks. However, three Houston area Fudds have at least temporarily closed: Stafford, Copperfield, and Kingwood. It’s been quite a while since our last Fuddsdate, …

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to HHR. To close out the end of the month, I wanted to feature a store tour! If you just joined us, store tours are some of my favorite things to do, but I’ve had to slow down because I will run out of stores if I keep doing one per week! This time, we’re checking out a former Food Lion now inhabited by Sellers Bros #22 in Pasadena. This …

The Steeplechase Center is supposed to receive a new tenant in the way of a gas station at the corner of Jones Road and FM 1960. The new Quiktrip Convenience Store and Fuel Center will replace a former Capital One Bank branch, which closed about four years ago. This new QuikTrip location will be the company’s third in Houston and the first to be located away from a freeway. The chain, widely known for its …

Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today, we’re looking at Nutty Munkey, a tiny frozen custard chain with a brief stop in Houston. I ran across Nutty Munkey completely by accident, while researching a local Kroger via Google Earth I spotted an “oddly shaped” Shipley’s from the sky and flew in to take a look. When I saw this structure, I thought it had to be some local restaurant. I thought the …

Closeout retailer Ollies Bargain Outlet plans an expansion in Texas by entering a stalking horse bid for some of 99 Cents Only Stores Texas real estate. The closeout chain entered Texas in 2018 and Houston in 2021. The properties under consideration by Ollie’s include 11 former 99 Cents Only locations across Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and the Valley, expanding Ollie’s footprint quite a bit. The stores include a mixture of both leased and owned operations. …

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to HHR. Today is the semi-official 10th anniversary of Houston Historic Retail. I want to take a break from the regular pattern and let you all take a peak behind the curtain of HHR. First, let me explain the discrepancy that makes this semi-official. Houston Historic Retail debuted in 2014 on a free WordPress site that only a handful of people saw. The original content was all migrated here to …

Seafood restaurant Red Lobster suddenly closed 99 restaurants this week, including three in the Houston area. The closures were sudden, and no warning was given to employees or customers. However, they were not unexpected. The chain has been considering filing for bankruptcy for months now. Members of the retail and restaurant world point to the idea that this sudden closure, which is being followed by a quick auction, might be a way to generate enough …

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to HHR. Today, we’re checking out a new Joe V’s. In fact, it’s the newest store in the chain at the moment. Located at 4107 N Fry Rd, Katy, TX 77449, this Joe V’s is likely a template for the locations we’ll soon see popping up in DFW. In case you live under a rock, Joe V’s is a banner HEB operates. It focuses on low prices, dropping service departments, …

Houston’s newest Goodwill has finally arrived, as the thrift store holds its official Westchase grand opening this week. The long-awaited store, located at 10770 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042, has been in a soft opening phase since late April but has been planned for quite a while. Goodwill initially had a spot in the neighborhood, further up Westheimer at its intersection with Dairy Ashford. This store closed in early 2020 without explanation, and GFS now …