After five years operating in the Waterway Square district of The Woodlands, the Hubbell & Hudson Market will close its doors March 12. The closure will not affect the Hubbell & Hudson Kitchen location on Research Forest Drive, although the Bistro—located next to the Market—will undergo a significant expansion.

Kent Johnson, Hubbell & Hudson president and CEO, said the Market has not been financially sustainable since its inception in 2008 and will close March 12. A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed Jan. 10 with the Texas Workforce Commission revealed 80 Hubbell & Hudson employees would be laid off as a result of the closure.

A letter from Johnson to the Texas Workforce Commission, Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack and Woodlands Township Chairman Bruce Tough said the layoffs were expected to be permanent, attributing the closure to "current economic conditions."

"It has been a difficult decision to close the Market, a concept we believed could have been successful under different circumstances," Johnson said in an email. "In addition, being a sole-operation with limited buying power and the increased competition of other specialty food retailers in The Woodlands, made it evident that this decision must be made."

Johnson said the Market would remain open until March 12. The specialty grocer had been a staple retailer of Town Center since it opened in 2008 at 24 Waterway Ave.

However, the Bistro may soon expand at its current location to accommodate banquet space and private dining rooms, Johnson said.

"It is in the best interests of the company and the employees to focus its efforts and resources on the growth opportunities afforded by our other food services," Johnson said. "Executive Chef Austin Simmons' culinary creativity will continue to be the focal point at the Bistro, the Kitchen as well as the Catering services under the Hubbell & Hudson brand."

For more information on Hubbell & Hudson, visit www.hubbellandhudson.com.