Grocery store Don Tomate Meat Market provides Latin American flavors, products in Cypress
Celia Hernandez opened her grocery store Don Tomate Meat Market in February 2020 and has since expanded to a second location in Tomball last April.
“I lived in Cypress for a while—for about 14 years—and I saw the need for a meat market,” Hernandez said.
17835 Grant Road, Cypress
281-783-6800
www.dontomatemarket.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Locally owned Heirloom Cafe and Market features store, restaurant in Tomball
After years of running a food truck called Picnic On The Green, owner and Tomball resident Carrie Roper opened Heirloom Cafe and Market in Tomball in July.
“It’s the first time we’ve done a restaurant,” Roper said. “We’ve been doing catering after we did the food truck.”
At the restaurant, Roper said most of the recipes are from her family.
30522 Hwy. 249, Tomball
713-582-5052
https://heirloom-cafe-market.square.site
Hours: Tue.-Sat. 7 a.m.-3 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.
Half Baked Cookie Co. in Cypress offers treats for every diet
Despite her background in fitness, Stephanie Ferreira believes “everyone deserves a cookie.” She opened a Half Baked Cookie Co. storefront in February 2021 after running a cookie delivery service out of her home for about two years.
“I think every diet should have a cookie because you can’t limit yourself forever. If you eat everything in moderation, you can really eat anything in moderation,” she said. “But when I [started my business], I wanted a cookie for every diet.”
16326 Mueschke Road, Ste. E-10, Cypress
346-332-2227
www.halfbakedgoodness.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., closed Sun.
Tomball shop Evangeline Bridal offers one-of-a-kind dress shopping experience
Candice Gold opened Evangeline Bridal with one thought in mind: She wanted to make it like Tomball—small, cozy, intimate and charming.
Gold said the original location for the bridal shop on West Main Street, which opened in 2020, was much larger, but when her lease was up, she told the landlord she needed a smaller location.
205 E. Main St., Tomball
832-497-7799
www.evangelinebridal.com
Hours: Tue.-Sat. by appointment only
'My son keeps me going': Owner of Jayden Layne Boutique in Tomball offers clients a personalized shopping experience
Brittani Johnson, owner of Jayden Layne Boutique in Tomball and a single mom, does not let any obstacle stop her.
The shop’s namesake, her 14-year-old son Jayden, is her motivation to keep going, she said.
309 Market St., Ste. B, Tomball
832-588-3566
www.jaydenlayne.com
Hours: Tue.-Sat. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sun. noon-4 p.m.
Former carpenter brings handiwork to Dottie's in Old Town Tomball offering gelato
Lorraine Featherston was in between carpentry jobs when her father, Ernie Grandinetti, let her know in 2020 that one of his buildings in downtown Tomball was available and could be used for their longtime dream of getting into the food business.
Lorraine had worked on restaurants, including Tejas BBQ, which gave her inspiration. But the building’s small space lent itself to a family-friendly space—and a training Lorraine took in Dallas with an Italian gelato company sealed the deal. Dottie’s opened its doors in May 2021.
411 W. Main St., Tomball
713-805-6087
Hours: Wed.-Fri. noon-7 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 1-6 p.m., closed Mon.-Tue.
Humble-based Fetch Pet Resort offers boarding, day camp, grooming services
Norma Munoz’s love of animals largely decided her first venture into the pet care business in Humble in 1990, but the working hours required did not hurt.
“My next-door neighbor was a [pet] groomer, and she would leave in the morning and be home by one o’clock in the afternoon,” Munoz said. “I thought, ‘Wow, those are good hours.’ I didn’t want to spend a lot of time away from my little girl and my boys.”
5533 FM 1960, Humble
281-852-2400
www.fetchpetresort.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 4-6 p.m.
Dote On in Kingwood brightens homes with interior tropical plants, greenery
Gardening has always been a part of Joselyn Burton’s life. It goes back at least three generations in her family.
“I was born in Guatemala, so it’s heaven to grow anything out there,” Burton said, noting her great-grandmother and parents raised her around plants and gardening. “I don’t think I ever really truly enjoyed it until I moved away, and then it was kind of a sweet reminder. Now, my mom and I have a really great bond over it.”
3033 Woodland Hills Drive, Kingwood
[email protected]
www.shopdoteon.com
Hours: Wed.-Sun. noon-5 p.m., closed Mon.-Tue.
Cinnaholic opening at Meyerland Court Shopping Center in June
Vegan and plant-based bakery Cinnaholic is preparing to open its doors at the Meyerland Court Shopping Center this summer.
Owner Mafer Figueroa said she plans to have the bakery—located at 4798 Beechnut St.—open by June. Construction is slated to be completed the month before its opening, according to a permit filed to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Montrose-based plant shop Dirt Bag grows community
Jessica Cohen has her roots in plants. Combining her knowledge of tropical vegetation from her mother’s Colombian heritage with her knowledge of desert vegetation from her father’s Mexican roots, she said she can confidently pair plants with people.
Cohen owns and runs Dirt Bag, a Montrose-based plant shop selling plants, pots and dirt while partnering with local artists to sell their products in the shop.
701 Gray St., Ste. 1, Houston
713-485-0380
www.dirtbagsfromtx.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
Fat Cat Creamery serves fresh, local scoops in the Heights
As a resident of the Heights for over 15 years, Sarah Johnston said she has a deep love for Houston and its diverse communities.
The owner of Fat Cat Creamery, an ice cream shop that specializes in using locally sourced ingredients, Johnston was the first to open an ice cream store in the Heights.
1901 N. Shepherd Drive, Houston
713-869-1080
1225 W. 34th St., Houston
832-409-6568
www.fatcatcreamery.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. noon-10 p.m., Fri. noon-11 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Bobbins & Threads off Grant Road offers products, services and community
Trish Lopes has been quilting for years and has built a community of fellow quilters around her who would go out of their way to have a space to work and chat with peers.
While Lopes enjoys her time with the groups she has joined in Katy, Humble and other surrounding areas, she wanted to bring this sense of community to Cy-Fair quilters, so she opened Bobbins & Threads off Grant Road in early 2022.
10130 Grant Road, Ste. 214, Houston
713-203-6259
www.bobbinsthreads.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. noon-4 p.m.
Family-run And a Little Hope Boutique in Pearland reaching teens, youth
Daughter and mother Hope and Michelle Huber launched And a Little Hope Boutique in 2020 as an online shop selling clothing during Hope’s senior year in high school.
Hope said at age 18, she was determined to start her own business instead of going to college.
2314 N. Main St., Pearland
281-809-5611
www.andalittlehope.com
Hours: Tue.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.
Goodwoods British Market boasts U.K. eats, gifts in Old Town Spring
According to owner Alix Attaway, customers drive for miles to visit Goodwoods British Market, and online orders are placed from all over the U.S. as patrons clamor to get the British goods they grew up with.
While Attaway said many of the customers who visit Goodwoods used to live in the United Kingdom or one of the British overseas territories, anyone is welcome to stop by the Old Town Spring staple.
220 Gentry St., Spring
281-419-7540
www.goodwoods.com
Hours: Mon. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m.
Family-owned Scruples Boutique marks 43 years serving the Champions area
Making every customer “look and feel gorgeous” may sound like a tall order, but at Scruples Boutique, located in the Champion Forest Plaza along FM 1960, this is the staff’s everyday mission.
Run by founder Betty Griffin with her daughters Linda Griffin Dietert and Betty Ann Drury, Scruples Boutique sells accessories and women’s clothing in sizes 0-18. According to Dietert, the boutique’s average customer is a size 12-14.
5446 FM 1960 W., Houston
281-537-0405
www.scrupleshouston.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Sun.
Moo House Cafe marks 5 years of serving multicultural treats in Spring
Spotted cow prints, bovine figurines and trails of hoof tracks adorn Moo House Cafe—a theme owner Joan Tong said she chose not only for her daughter’s love of cows, but also because the animal makes many of her recipes possible.
“We use milk to do milk tea and stuff like that,” Tong said. “So I feel that is a pretty good theme.”
7310 Louetta Road, Ste. A120, Spring
346-808-7182
www.moohousecafe.com
Hours: noon-9 p.m. daily
Neighborhood wine bar The Classy Cork cultivates community in northern Spring
As the owner of Spring-area wine bar The Classy Cork, Angela Conant said she has always loved wine, yet she still learns something new about the beverage each day.
“I like the fact that you can never know everything there is to know about wine,” Conant said. “I like the experiences that go along with it, the food pairing, and just the friendships that you establish just by sitting in here and drinking wine and talking about travels and food.”
22916 Kuykendahl Road, Ste. 100, Spring
832-534-1900
www.theclassycork.com
Hours: Tue.-Thu. 4-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 4-10 p.m., closed Mon.-Sun.
Katy resident shares passion for teaching through reupholstery
ChairDo owner Jackie Brunetti has always had a passion for teaching. That passion drove her to save up spare change to rent out a space for her Katy-based business.
Brunetti was so insistent on making her teaching dream a reality that she paid to remodel the building out of her own pocket.
5709 Fifth St., Ste. A, Katy
281-574-0355
www.chairdo.com
Hours: Mon. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., appointments available
South Side Roller Derby in Pearland builds community for local women
After growing up as a figure skater, Brenda Holley decided to trade in her ice skates for roller skates.
Holley originally tried out for a Houston-based roller derby league but was told to come back the next season. Instead, she founded South Side Roller Derby in 2006, a league that serves Pearland and Friendswood.
1230 Broadway St., Pearland
281-482-4060
www.southsiderollerderby.com
Hours: Various hours, check website for more details
