When Samantha Richards opened A2B Cabs in 2012 she started with a fleet of two cars and catered to those like herself who were accustomed to hailing a cab to get home safely after a night on the town.

Now that the word is out about the burgeoning taxi service, Richards said she's had to expand to a fleet of four vehicles in the last six months.

The cab company has diversified its workforce, hiring two male and two female drivers, for women who may be more comfortable being picked up by a woman, Richards said.

The company caters to clients who want to travel locally—most often trips that include a home-restaurant-bar-home circuit. Clients also frequently request shopping destinations, such as the Galleria or City Center.

Richards and husband Gavin launched the service after moving to Katy from England five years ago. The couple joined the British and Ex-Pat Families of Katy group where they recognized a need for a taxi service in the area for people who were used to a culture that strictly enforced drunk driving laws.

"There was no cab service [in Katy]," Richards said. "You could call a downtown Houston cab but they started charging a $25 surcharge on top of the fare just to come into Katy."

Richards said that though the company accepts spur-of-the-moment calls in the middle of the night from clients wanting to be picked up, many people have taken to the company's pre-booking system, which helps its drivers keep up with demand.

www.a2bcabs-katy.com

832-437-9788

Open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights