1. From earth to art: Potter’s Place Pottery in Stafford continues tradition of ceramics
Like Picasso, Karen Cruce began making pottery later in her life, taking up the craft in her 40s.
The owner of Potter’s Place Pottery opened the Stafford shop in 2000, after a suggestion from her husband sparked the idea to finally learn how to mold ceramics from a slab of clay into something new, she said. Read more of the feature here.
- 741 Dulles Ave., Stafford
- www.pottersplacepottery.com
The first iteration of Off the Vine was a bistro highlighting farm-to-table ingredients, created in 2015 out of Namita and Manish Asthana's want to meet the health needs of their family, Namita Asthana said.
After nearly eight years, Namita Asthana decided to shutter the Missouri City restaurant in December 2022 to prioritize caring for her ailing mother. But Off the Vine was transmuted in spring 2023 into a social club for intimate dinner parties and wine tasting at a new location a few streets down from the original space. Read more of the feature here.
- 4220 Cartwright Road, Ste. 701, Missouri City
- www.offthevineexperiences.com
It was the influence of Huy Nguyen's wife, Jennie Nguyen, that inspired him to open Creamery Teahouse in Sugar Land with her by his side.
When they met, Huy Nguyen worked as an event coordinator, and Jennie Nguyen worked with the banquet hall where Huy was planning weddings. She also worked as a barista for another teahouse, crafting teas, juices and smoothies. Read more of the feature here.
- 350 Promenade Way, Ste. 850, Sugar Land
- www.thecreameryteahouse.com
By opening a Gelato Picks gelateria after retiring from a career as an oil and gas executive, owner Dietmar Neidhardt said he hopes to encourage others to pursue new passions—even at an older age.
“I did nothing extraordinary, nothing somebody else couldn’t do as well,” Neidhardt said. “I wanted to prove that, even after 65 [years old], you could do and create something.”
Read more of the feature here.
- 16525 Lexington Blvd., Ste. 130, Sugar Land
- www.gelatopicks.com
Willie Richard II, affectionately known by his family as "Uncle Honey," started his business out of the desire to have his grandmother’s tea cakes again.
He said enslaved people learned to make tea cakes and passed on the recipes by word of mouth. He said they have long been a key part of celebrating Juneteenth and represent the storied history of southern Black Americans. Read more of the feature here.
- 1250 Texas Parkway, Ste. J, Stafford
- Facebook: Uncle Honey's Home Style Desserts
Imperial Wine co-owners Chad Starret and Clayton Taylor said they have plans to transition their Sugar Land retail wine shop into a wine boutique by early 2025, where the business will serve wine by the glass.
They said they imagine a space where the city’s diverse community can gather in the open patio behind the store while sharing the natural wine the business specializes in. Read more of the feature here.
- 106 Bay View Drive, Ste. C, Sugar Land
- www.imperialwinesltx.com
A decadeslong friendship culminated into Talyard Brewing Co., Sugar Land’s first major brewery that opened this fall.
Co-owners Chuck Laughter and Keith Teague met at a pool in their Sienna community over 20 years ago, they said. Their bond has spanned generations, passing through their children to their collective 15 grandchildren. Read more of the feature here.
- 1033 Imperial Blvd., Sugar Land
- www.talyardbrewing.com
Britt Caffarena, owner of Better Bling jewelry studio in Stafford, said she first fell in love with gems when she was gifted her birthstone, an aquamarine gem, at Christmas when she was a teen.
“[At the jewelry store, I asked,] ‘How do you know what it is?’ And, ‘How do you know if it's real? How do you know what it's worth?’" Caffarena said. "And they were like, 'You have a lot of questions; you should go and be a gemologist.' So I told my parents, 'I want to be a gemologist.'”
Read more of the feature here.
- 2813 N. Main St., Stafford
- www.sugarlandjewels.com
