Retail News: GFS opened a new Galveston Island Store this week

GFS, Gordon Food Service, opened its newest retail outlet in the greater Houston area on March 26th. The new location, located at 2402 45th St, Galveston, TX 77550, is the first bulk store on the Island and the first new grocery chain to arrive since HEB’s stint in the former Safeway (1990-2008). This new GFS location actually takes the place of a Gerland’s, which closed over 20 years ago. This store will also be the …

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Taco Bueno Houston; lights are on but nobody home!

Things haven’t been going well for Taco Bueno since they decided to return to Houston in 2020. Taco Bueno’s first go in Houston lasted from 1979-1988 and culminated with five locations throughout the city and only one in a suburb (Katy). This first go-around was all company-owned outlets, and to Taco Bueno’s credit, they had spent almost ten years at a few locations before pulling the plug. Taco aficionados tend to compare the chain with …

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What no Diner's Club?

Spring Antique Mall

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to HHR! Today, we’re stopping somewhere I haven’t been in quite a while: an antique store! The last time we visited one was the Alvin Antique Center, formerly a Bottom Dollar Discount Store. I haven’t been doing too much antiquing since then. I still pick up retail nick-nacks at thrift stores, where I see them occasionally. However, I haven’t been able to find too much. So, when I visited this …

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Retail News: Walgreens temporarily moves Braeswood Square location during remodeling

The Walgreens in Braeswood Square is undergoing remodeling, and has temporarily moved their pharmacy only to a new spot in the shopping center. Walgreens is the only original tenant still left from Braeswood Square’s 1971 grand opening. The store is a bit different now than when it originally opened. Braeswood Square was an early attempt at a “sidewalk mall” by Weingarten Realty. The two anchors in the mall were Weingartens and Walgreens, and the shops …

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Más Club, Sam’s abandoned concept

Editor’s Note: Today’s photos are graciously supplied by Holcombe of Hidalgo on Flickr If you’ve lived in Houston for any amount of time, then you’ve probably driven past Más Club or at least the remnants of Más Club. While I never ventured inside during its short existence, I was at least aware of the store, and it was well-known enough that it ended up with its own Wikipedia article. It reads a bit like a …

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A Trader Joe's is planned in Sugar Land at the former Sprouts at University and 59.

Retail News: Trader Joe’s Reportedly eyeing Sugar Land Sprouts for new store

A Reddit post yesterday excitedly sparked speculation that Trader Joe’s may be coming to Sugar Land soon. The post cited a notice published in a newspaper for a new Alcoholic Beverage license for Trader Joe’s #430, located at 13550 University Blvd, Sugar Land, TX 77479, a former Sprout’s that closed a little over a year ago. While Trader Joe’s is quite tight-lipped about their store development process, another user in that thread pointed to a …

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Did Fleming tank a Minimax to let Randalls flourish in Spring?

Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail! Today, we’re looking at a former Randalls at the corner of Louetta and Kukyendahl. The carcass of this former grocery store has been one of three stores to open and close at this corner since the 1980s. Let’s start with some regional history; this portion of Northwest Houston was an early swing and a hit for Houston’s Remarkable Store. Randalls hit the ground running with the …

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You don't know how close I came to almost ordering a "Route 44"!

Checking out Swig and their plans for Houston

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to HHR! Today, we’ve got a quick post, one I haven’t done on the blog in quite a while. It’s a bit of a restaurant review but also an exploration of a new concept in Houston. Speaking of restaurant reviews, though, if you’re interested in that sort of thing, please check out HHR on Facebook or Instagram, as I regularly hit up old Houston favorites. Today, though, we’re at Swig, …

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Sam’s Club on Eldridge Parkway will not be reopening, here’s why not

Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today, we’re revisiting an old story from April 2022. Nearly two years ago, I broke the news that Sam’s Club appeared to be in the midst of reopening a club that had been shuttered in 2018. The store, located at 13331 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77077, had only been open for five years when it was closed along with a wave of other stores throughout the …

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Retail News: Exterior Work nearly complete on Fountain View El Bolillo

El Bolillo the Mexican Bakery chain taking Houston by storm, has completed a majority of the exterior work on its new location at Fountain View and 59. The project is a bit delayed from its initial conception, with working only starting after the Mission Bend El Bolillo finally held its grand opening last November. Plans had initially called for the ex-Luby’s Bake Shop to be open by April 2023, but undisclosed hiccups pushed the date …

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