Veteran-owned shop sells Japanese-inspired gifts in Universal City
Army veteran Magda Kussel opened Craftpudding—a kawaii gift shop located at 216 Pat Booker Road, Ste. 216, Universal City—in 2020 after being discharged from the military and battling cancer.
The inspiration
Craftpudding originally began as an online Etsy shop in 2007, offering hand-carved rubber stamps. Kussel’s love of Japanese crafts and artwork inspired her to begin making the stamps as a hobby. She combined her favorite hobby and her favorite food, rice pudding, to call her business Craftpudding.
“I got very inspired by Japanese [culture] and I started to read books, especially in the area of crafts because they’re so well explained that [I didn’t] really need to know how to read Japanese,” she said.
Kussel decided to open her own studio after she began started painting to find solace after retiring as a disabled veteran and recovering from breast cancer.
Read more here.
Howzit Hawaiian Kitchen serves up family cuisine in Schertz
The Tottori family is bringing their Hawaiian heritage to Schertz through plates from Howzit Hawaiian Kitchen.
The locally-owned restaurant, located at 1420 Schertz Parkway, Ste. 290, opened in November 2024.
The inspiration
A native to Hawaii, Owner Alden Tottori managed restaurants in California and Hawaii before moving to Schertz to be closer to his wife's family. Tottori said he had always considered opening and owning his own restaurant, and in November 2024, that became reality.
Tottori said his family and friends gave him the final nod of approval after trying his Hawaiian cuisine. Then he saw an opportunity to open his restaurant when a space became available within the Parkway Village Shopping Center.
Read the full story by Reporter Thomas Leffler.
The Purple Pig serves up BBQ, midwestern-style
Demetric Herron, owner of The Purple Pig BBQ, said he started his culinary career after serving in the United States Army, working his way up from food tents to food trucks.
Then, along with his wife, Cherise, he took the final step and officially opened restaurant in November 2021, bringing the Schertz community something different—Midwestern style barbecue.
The background
Herron grew up learning the Midwestern craft from his great-uncle in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“I remember looking at ribs that were the size of me when I was a little kid,” Herron said.
Read the full story by Reporter Andrew Creelman.
Elite CrossFit + Personal Training offers functional fitness in Selma
Fitness has always been a part of Jeremy Tucker’s life.
At the age of 12, Tucker got his first gym membership. He played college football and worked the front desk at Ray Wilson Family Fitness and GNC, before landing his first job as an assistant high school football coach.
After becoming a personal trainer in the early 2000s, he began training collegiate teams at the University of Incarnate Word before making the decision to open his own gym.
Tucker opened his first Elite CrossFit + Personal Training location in San Antonio at 18347 Redland Road in 2008 before opening a second location in Selma at 16719 Pawlin Drive in 2010.
“I had an itch to expand,” Tucker said.
Read the full story by Editor Amira Van Leeuwen.
Grome's Sewing Machine Company sews community in Universal City
Grome’s Sewing Machine Company has been in San Antonio and within the Grome family since its beginnings all the way back in 1950.
The backstory
Cyndi Grome took ownership of the sewing shop in the early 1980s at their original location at 4719 Manitou Drive in San Antonio. Since then, they’ve opened a second location in Universal City at 2040 Universal City Blvd.
Now, her daughter, Hannah Brook, is the fifth generation in the family to work full-time at the shop, which Grome said makes them stand out.
“Being a family is what separates us from everyone else,” Grome said. “As a whole, we know enough to be able to help everybody.”
Read the full story by Reporter Andrew Creelman.
Tandoori Grill fuses traditional cuisine with homemade recipes in Schertz
Hailing from Punjab, India, Davinder Kaur and her husband moved to the United States at the turn of the century in 2000. After owning several hotel franchises in and around San Antonio, Kaur said she wanted to pursue her passion of cooking.
“I love cooking,” Kaur said. “When you have a hobby, you can do anything with it.”
Now, they own and operate the Tandoori Grill in Schertz, serving traditional north Indian cuisine, which Kaur said is “done the right way.”
Read more by Reporter Andrew Creelman.
Hole in the Wall Hobbies offers community in Universal City
There aren’t too many places with endless collectibles for Warhammer games and community playing sessions in the Northeast San Antonio Metrocom, Tom Colben said.
Colben is the sole proprietor of Hole in the Wall Hobbies, a table top gaming, collectible and card shop nestled at 11503 E. Loop 1604 N., Ste. 104 in Universal City.
“It’s an accidental hobby shop,” Colben said. “It was never supposed to be this big, but here we are.”
The history
Colben said that he has always been the “nerdy” type since he was a kid, but he wears it with pride.
As a lifelong interest in Warhammer and other table top games grew into an online eBay shop, Colben said that it kept growing to the point where he had to sell items out of rented storage lockers.
Check out the full story by Reporter Andrew Creelman.
M.Y. Chockdee Oriental Market & Restaurant serves authentic Filipino dishes in Universal City
There aren’t many places in San Antonio that offer sit-down Filipino dining and an Asian grocery market all-in-one.
At M.Y. Chockdee Oriental Market & Restaurant, located in Universal City at 119 E. Lindbergh Blvd., Owner and Chef Merle Rivera said they have both—along with catering options and more.
The backstory
Rivera said she wanted to bring her love of cooking to the United States, so she moved from the Philippines to Texas in 1985. During that process, she met her husband, Yong—who trained her to become a professional cook.
Read more.
Pollo Picosito serves up Tex-Mex with a West Coast twist in Live Oak
While Tex-Mex and breakfast tacos are abundant throughout San Antonio, Jose Castellanos said he wanted to put his own twist on the tried-and-true cuisine.
Some context
Hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, Castellanos said he has been in the restaurant and hospitality business for 45 years, managing and owning a variety of eateries for decades. So, to slow things down and “retire,” he decided to open Pollo Picosito in Live Oak in 2022—a spot that Castellanos said has become a local favorite.
“I wanted to run a little spot in this nice community,” Castellanos said. “It was the perfect choice.”
Check out the full story.
