Good news for James Coney Island Fans! Houston’s oldest purveyors of hot dogs will be back inside the loop for at least a few hours this week. The location Coney Cruiser Food Truck will be parked outside of the former James Coney Island location at S. Shepherd and Richmond Ave on Wednesday, November 16th. The food truck will be open for lunch from 11:00 AM-2:00 PM. The truck will serve a pared-down version of the original restaurant’s menu.
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Retail News: James Coney Island continues to shrink as Westheimer location closes
James Coney Island closed another location earlier this month, this time, it was their Galleria outpost at 5745 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77057. This leaves Houston’s oldest restaurant chain with a paltry 10 locations. The chain had about 20 locations as of 2020. So far, most locations that have closed have been redeveloped. The Westheimer location is no exception, with permits filed by Artisan’s Restaurant to demolish the building. The structure is actually original to Steak ‘n Shake, which operated from 1976-1978 before selling most of its locations to Grandy’s. JCI would move in here in 1983 and become a …
Keep readingRetail News: James Coney closes final inner-loop location, and provides some thoughts on the future
James Coney Island’s final inner-loop store shut down earlier this week. The news of the closure was quiet but shouldn’t come as a huge surprise for anyone who has been following the slow death of the chain. While JCI managed to hang on past the Millennium, it seems very little has been invested in the hot dog seller over the past 20 years. With locations stagnant and sales slipping, a 2018 initiative to push the chain away from Hot Dogs began. Local chef, Matt Marcus, was brought on board to help reimagine non-hot dog menu items, and a new name …
Keep readingRetail News: Work underway on transforming 3 former JCI locations to Cabo Bob’s
The former JCI at 1960 and Cutten Road is a bit further along than the Meadows Place location, but Mason will likely open first. Cabo Bob’s the Austin-based California-styled burrito restaurant, opened its first Houston location quietly towards the end of 2019 at Fountain View and San Felipe. The chain’s expansion, however, comes with much more fanfare. Cabo Bob’s first announced these new stores back in April, only a couple of weeks after James Coney Island shuttered the Meadows location with the other two closing about a month prior. While I think JCI will be around for a bit longer, …
Keep readingJames Coney Deserted Island, a Meadows Place Story
Update 4/27: For those on the Google crusade of trying to figure out why this location closed, it seems the property is being redeveloped as Cabo Bob’s an Austin-based taco house (Thanks Gruffbear!) If this has been helpful to you, consider following me on Facebook or other platforms for more regular updates! Howdy folks, and welcome to Houston Historic Retail. Today we’re checking out a James Coney Island, which truly is, on an island. Let’s start out though, talking about my least favorite hot dog chain. I know what you’re thinking, what’s wrong with this guy? Doesn’t like JCI, and …
Keep readingDining Out on Highway 6, a reflection on the dead restaurants near West Oaks Mall
Howdy folks and welcome to a companion piece for the Month of Malls. While not a full mall post, our center topic today are the dead restaurants near West Oaks Mall. These eateries are mostly adjacent to West Oaks Village Shopping Center, as opposed to the mall itself. However, let’s start off talking about full service eateries in West Oaks Mall. While the mall had its fair share of staple food court tenants, up until about 2010 full service dining has always been light at West Oaks. While a few restaurants like Biaproettis and most recent out parcel tenant Applebee’s …
Keep readingMemories of Highway 6
Growing up on the West Side of town meant when you wanted to go shopping you generally had to drive a bit. Around the time I entered Middle School my family moved from rural Richmond, to a suburb near Clodine. Driving in East on 1093, meant we would usually end up in one of the many shopping centers around Highway 6 and Westheimer. My family moved again shortly after I started college giving me little reason to visit the area. I took some time to visit the area, and see how things are going. Due to living …
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