Houston Historic Retail

Remember the excitement of stopping at the video store to pick up a movie for the weekend? Hollywood Video was usually
the choice for my family. It had a better selection and was cheaper than Blockbuster, which seemed to charge fees just for fun. Just pulling up to the neon-lit building created excitement!

In 2010, Hollywood Video filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. They quickly liquidated the remaining stores, and with no one really around to control the brand, their distinct buildings still stand, sometimes reusing signage like this example on Telephone Road near Bellfort. I don’t think the beauty supply is even open these days, but the monument to video rental stores still stands.

Were you a Blockbuster or Hollywood Video family? Or did y’all rent from somewhere else?

Work on the new Sprouts at Echo Lane and the Katy Freeway is progressing quickly. The grocery store will replace about half of the old Kroger in The Villages, which shut down in late 2025. Sprouts is scheduled to open sometime in 2027.

Interestingly, a store-closing banner from Kroger is still on the building. Sprouts will also build its facade on top of the old AppleTree facade. This store was originally a Safeway, and under AppleTree (the 80s spin-off of Safeway in our part of Texas), it was the only location ever to receive a full remodel. The remodel included the pointed facade that Kroger used until it closed.

What do y’all think about this new Sprouts? Tag a friend who’s excited for this store to open!

Retail News: Food Town in Deer Park reportedly closing

HHR has received reports that the Food Town located at 3322 Center St, Deer Park, TX 77536 will close by the end of the year. While the news has not been confirmed, multiple social media users have reported similar rumors, with a proposed final day of December 24th. Reportedly, the site is being considered for conversion to a gym. Weingarten's…...

Retail News: Food Town in Deer Park reportedly closing HHR has received reports that the Food Town located at 3322 Center St, Deer Park, TX 77536 will close by the end of the year. While the news has not been confirmed, multiple social media users have…

Here are a couple of retail remnants spotted in the past few days! First, a Sears Grand cart.
We spotted this in San Antonio, and it was likely from the Austin Sears Grand, Sears' last attempt at a truly new concept.

The other Sears Appliance & Hardware cart was spotted in Sugar Land and was likely local, from one of the Sears Hardware locations.

Have you spotted any good retail remnants lately? Drop a photo of what you’ve found in the comments!

Work is progressing on the new Bellaire Trader Joe’s. The old Weingarten/Safeway/AppleTree/Randalls building was demolished earlier this year to make way for the new grocery store.

The spot has sat vacant since Randalls closed in 2021, and a medical complex was once proposed for the site. Instead, Bellaire will become the newest home of everyone’s favorite Aldi-owned fancy food store.

Tag someone who doesn’t know this update; you might make their week! Where else would y’all like to see Trader Joe’s in our area?

Spirit Halloween Luby’s Part 2. I made it inside the spooky Luby’s on Waugh and W Gray. Spirit is using the entire building, with the dining room holding most of the store, and a smaller section of the old serving line also serving as the sales floor.

This has to be one of the strangest reuses I’ve ever seen for a Spirit Halloween. Some time and effort went into smoothing over bits of the old serving line. Also, the cash register is in the same spot Luby’s used to be.

I have more photos of the place that I’ll post closer to Halloween, so make sure you’re following me so you don't miss them!

EPO is a Houston Hidden Gem! Think of it as Radio Shack on steroids. I could try listing all the things EPO sells, but it’s probably easier to list what they don’t, which is basically brand-new tech you’d find at Best Buy or Micro Center, but even then they do have new stuff sometimes.

EPO has been open since 1985, and sits at the corner of Fondren and Lipan (just North of Westpark). The store is absolutely stuffed to the brim with products, and the staff there is very knowledgeable. As someone interested in electronics, EPO is a gold mine. Even if you aren’t a tinkerer, they have tons of project kits, toys, etc.

If you haven’t been, I absolutely recommend checking it out. What other Houston Hidden Gems would you like to see?

The difference 15 years makes is incredible! I'm researching an upcoming piece on a shopping center in this area, and while snooping around on Google Street View, I couldn't resist sharing these shots.

15 years ago, I had many late nights at the original 59 Diner. I often went after work with a few friends. We were all in college then and worked at a restaurant during the day. We got to know some of the late-night staff well, and more than once we helped bus a table or take a to-go order in exchange for some free goodies.

What memories do you have of 59 Diner?

Work seems to be getting started on the old Whataburger in Greenway Plaza. When Whataburger relocated to the site of the old Fuddruckers a few months back, they left their old location up for grabs. Taco Palenque, a Laredo-based fast Tex-Mex chain often hailed as the next Taco Cabana, grabbed the property and has begun some light work in anticipation of opening its next Houston-area location here.

Personally, I think this is a smart move for Taco Palenque. The Kirby and SW Freeway Taco Cabana (formerly Two Pesos) was always busy until the chain started running into issues. If this new TP location is open 24/7, they might be able to recapture a bit of that magic!

Is Houston ready for a 24-hour store comeback?

Kroger has made headlines lately as the "first grocer" to try returning to 24-hour operation, which begs the question: Is Houston ready for a 24-hour grocery store again? Personally, I think yes, but we have a few things to talk about before drawing that conclusion. First off, not every grocery store abandoned 24-hour service. Woodman's, a regional competitor in Wisconsin and Illinois, never permanently abandoned 24/7 operation....

Is Houston ready for a 24-hour store comeback? Kroger has made headlines lately as the “first grocer” to try returning to 24-hour operation, which begs the question: Is Houston ready for a 24-hour grocery store again? Personally, I …