Read the latest business and community news from the Houston area.

Harris County

Applications open soon for Harris County's $30 million small-business assistance program


Harris County Commissioners Court voted unanimously June 30 to approve the Harris County Small Business Recovery Fund, a $30 million grant program designated for struggling small businesses that have not yet obtained financial assistance from other COVID-19 relief programs, according to a press release.

The program is set to launch July 13 and will remain open until July 22. It is designed for businesses with 30 or fewer employees, officials said.



The Woodlands

Rock the Row announces summer show series

Starting July 9, Hughes Landing will resume its free concert series Rock The Row with shows running from 7-9 p.m.

Information from The Woodlands Township states those planning to attend should follow social distancing guidelines, refrain from gathering in large groups, and follow guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Waxing the City coming soon to Spring Stuebner Road

Waxing the City will soon be offering waxing services for men and women at its new location at 6630 Spring Stuebner Road, Ste. 510, Spring. According to co-owner Swati Desai, who runs the business with her cousin Neel, construction on the new location begins in August and a grand opening is slated for January 2021.

Spring-Klein

The Growth Coach business and sales training now serving Spring and The Woodlands


The newest franchise of the national business training company The Growth Coach opened for service in northwest Houston this month.

The Growth Coach of Spring, serving Spring, The Woodlands and surrounding communities, launched under franchisee Robert Osborne on July 1.

Blessings Assisted Living Home set to open soon

Blessings Assisted Living Home, a new assisted-living facility located at 29314 Brook Chase Drive, Spring, is planning its official opening in the near future.


Balanced Foods now open on Louetta Road near The Vintage

Balanced Foods opened a new location at 10300 Louetta Road, Ste. 126, Houston, on May 2. The healthy grab-and-go concept offers freshly prepared prepackaged snacks and meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner that cater to a variety of nutritional and dietary needs.

Contender eSports announces permanent closure on Spring Cypress Road

After less than one year in business, Contender eSports announced the permanent closure of its Spring location at 9702 Spring Cypress Road, Ste. 114, via Facebook on July 7.


Conroe-Montgomery

Beauty Babes now open in downtown Montgomery

Beauty Babes opened June 1 at 305 Prairie St., Montgomery. The salon offers hair and makeup for special events, such as weddings, maternity photos, film and more. It also offers a small retail section in the store.

Sugar Land

Gyro Hut brings New York-style gyros to Sugar Land with second Houston-area restaurant

Gyro Hut opened its second Houston-area location May 5 at 1914 Wescott Ave., Ste. 150, Sugar Land.

The build-your-own-gyro restaurant offers chicken, lamb, shrimp, fish, falafel and chapli kabab served over rice, lettuce or in a pita, topped with vegetables and sauce.

Heights-River Oaks-Montrose

New to Montrose: Dining with flowers, a window into peanut butter, more space for dogs and a new ER


The wave of coronavirus cases has put a damper on new openings, but several businesses looking to open in the Montrose area are hoping the curve can be flattened soon. Here is a look at several additions we know about coming to the area.

Bay Area

Houston, League City police departments changing in wake of George Floyd’s death


League City police Chief Gary Ratliff said the department is going to continue de-escalation, use-of-force, race and bias training while recognizing there is room for improvement.

iTile opening July 10 in Webster

Family-run business iTile will open at Baybrook Gateway at the intersection of I-45 and Bay Area Boulevard in Webster on July 10. The business—which sells a variety of tile, natural stone, vinyl and more—leased 26,584 square feet at the shopping center.

Cy-Fair

Ground breaks on new Kiddie Academy off Cypresswood Drive

Ground was broken June 24 on a new location of the educational child care center Kiddie Academy coming soon to 13909 Mandolin Drive, Houston, near the Cypresswood Drive intersection. The center, which will be known as Kiddie Academy Cypresswood, will be run by Cami Dinh and Taun Le and is slated to open around early 2021.

Houston

4 Houston-area pastors take steps urging racial unity across region

As unrest and racial division across the nation were magnified earlier this summer, four pastors representing churches across the Greater Houston area led a gathering with a few hundred fellow church leaders June 15, together outlining practical steps faith leaders could take toward uniting Houston, said Jason Shepperd, the lead pastor of Church Project in The Woodlands.

Emler Swim School now offering interactive lessons online

Officials with Emler Swim School announced the launch of new interactive online swim curriculum this week called Emler@Home. Designed for children ages 6 months to 10 years, the initiative allows parents to help their children learn to swim alongside instructors from the swim school without ever having to enter an Emler school site, according to a press release.

Hannah Zedaker, Andy Li, Claire Shoop, Ben Thompson, Andrew Christman, Adriana Rezal, Danica Lloyd and Matt Dulin contributed to this report.