Throughout 2025, Community Impact spoke with owners and managers of eight local restaurants to be featured in our monthly editions. Here’s a look back at the Sugar Land and Missouri City eateries we featured.

1. L'Amour Du Cafe in Sugar Land puts customers first

Amir Khan and Mohammad Asif opened L’Amour Du Cafe in Sugar Land in July 2023, Asif said. But not long after opening, both owners faced significant health issues that caused them to take a step back from the daily operations of the restaurant. Khan transferred his part ownership to Asif in the spring, Asif said.

Despite the French name, L’Amour Du Cafe’s menu fuses Pakistani, Asian and American cuisine, Asif said. Asif said the initial concept for L’Amour Du Cafe was a coffee and dessert shop, but he decided to shift the menu based on his customers' requests.2. Red Oak Grill in Missouri City focuses on food, family

Downsizing to one Red Oak Grill in Missouri City allowed owner Marita Abuata to focus on her customers first. Previously operating in Katy and Sugar Land since 2000 and 2009, respectively, Abuata said she felt she and her husband were being pulled in too many directions.


Mediterranean cuisine is characterized by its vibrant colors and flavors, as well as its freshness, Abuata said. She said most of Red Oak Grill’s menu items are homemade. Some of the restaurant’s most popular orders include its gyro sandwiches, hummus, kebabs and chicken shawarma, Abuata said.3. College business owner plans to make Sienna Wings a million dollar brand

Tyla Simone Crayton was just 16 years old when she started a fully-staffed business, selling chicken wings she and a small staff of high school students prepared with a sauce she developed herself, she said.

Crayton said she learned the discipline and confidence it takes to own a business by watching her mom—who, as a single parent, decided to move herself and her daughter from New York to Houston in 2005.
The prime beef cheeseburger ($16), made with a tri-blend of brisket, chuck and short rib and served with a side of truffle fries, is among the eatery's most ordered entrees. (Courtesy Spectators Bar & Grill)
The prime beef cheeseburger ($16), made with a tri-blend of brisket, chuck and short rib and served with a side of truffle fries, is among the eatery's most ordered entrees. (Courtesy Spectators Bar & Grill)


4. Spectators Bar & Grill aims to provide upscale dining in Sugar Land, Richmond


“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” quoted Aneal Mohammad, owner of sports-centric restaurant Spectators Bar & Grill. Mohammad took a drastic leap to open the first Spectators in Sugar Land in August 2022, completely shifting his career path from mechanic to a business owner in the food and beverage industry.

Mohammad said his goal with Spectators is to provide an upscale dining experience some customers may be unaccustomed to having at a sports bar. The eatery's prime beef cheeseburger—made with a tri-blend of brisket, chuck and short rib and served with a side of truffle fries—is among the most ordered entrees, Mohammad said.
  • 1525 Lake Pointe Parkway, Ste. 100, Sugar Land
  • 18702 University Blvd., Sugar Land
  • 18802 West Airport Blvd., Ste. 700, Richmond
  • www.spectatorsbargrill.com
5. Family-owned SnoDreamz celebrates a sweet year in Missouri City

SnoDreamz, a business offering a taste of New Orleans, found a home in Missouri City.

The family-run, Louisiana-inspired snow cone shop brought its signature soft shaved ice and bold flavors to the area in February 2024. But the business also has deeply rooted history in the Houston area, co-owner Crystal Tankersley Ikeakor said.


Ikeakor’s snow cone journey began in the ’80s when her mother, New Orleans native Denise Tankersley, started selling the icy treats in Houston’s South Park area with her husband, John Tankersley.6. Oliver’s Gourmet offers more than Southern cuisine

Cooking has always been a large part of Christopher Nichols' family dynamic. He grew up watching his mother run her catering business, and he began cooking in his late teens, after watching the Food Network and Gordon Ramsay.

In July 2023, Nichols and his parents opened Oliver’s Gourmet in Missouri City, serving Southern gourmet food in the form of specialty sandwiches and soups with plans to eventually offer breakfast all day.7. Local couple combines community, craft coffee into one experience

For Ryan Borinaga, the words fellowship and coffee are synonymous. When he opened Fellowship Coffee Co. last May, he knew he wanted to blend the two. The business started as a mobile pop-up coffee cart that catered for events such as weddings and corporate events before the opportunity to open an additional coffee shop arose.


Fellowship Coffee is a family-friendly coffee shop offering specialty coffee flavors, such as bourbon vanilla bean lattes and coconut matcha with an ube cloud. The shop makes most of its syrups by hand and also offers pastries, scones and empanadas for customers to snack on.8. Local couple brings Peruvian-cooked charcoal chicken to Sugar Land

Ash and Pat Shiao used to talk about and dream up concepts for opening a restaurant together one day. While neither of them had previous experience in the restaurant industry with Ash Shiao serving as a travel nurse and Pat Shiao managing an auto shop, the two considered themselves foodies and knew they had the passion for it.

Along with the chicken meals, customers can order dishes with beef, fried fish, ceviche and pasta. Side options include chaufa, or chicken fried rice, plantains, yuca fries and black or pinto beans.