Short-Lived Businesses

[IronTiger]

One of the descriptions for this sub-topic is the "things that go bump in the night", so I'm inviting some of you to share some rather short-lived businesses that may not have even registered on most places. Could be a restaurant open for a month, could be for a new building that was built only to be torn down 2-3 years later. The only real request is to not list things that are supposed to temporary (like pop-up shops).

To begin, one of the things I saw in the late 2000s appear and disappear was "Philly Connection" stores. I'm pretty sure at least one exists along US-290, but in 2008-2009, I swear I remember seeing at least 3 along the US-290 corridor alone.

But I don't live (yet) in the Houston area, and I can't list specific examples. So, this thread is for those short-lived businesses that have existed over the years.

[gmac]

I would almost have to include the SuperStand locations on the list.

[LarryDierker]

I was thinking superstand . I was also thinking about CDwarehouse but after a google I discovered there are still some locations including one in Houston.

[august948]

Fish & Knife on Westheimer.  Took about 3 years to build and I'm not sure it was even open a year before they closed.

[IronTiger]

According to Swamplot, Fish & the Knife was supposed to rework the restaurant concept and reopen it under a different name, but it's been months since it was supposed to be complete.

[mkultra25]

To begin, one of the things I saw in the late 2000s appear and disappear was "Philly Connection" stores. I'm pretty sure at least one exists along US-290, but in 2008-2009, I swear I remember seeing at least 3 along the US-290 corridor alone.

 

The only Texas locations left are at 290 and Jones Road and in Cypress:

 

http://www.phillyconnection.com/locations.html

 

There used to be one at Shepherd and I-10 which I patronized semi-regularly when I was working a few blocks away. Always wondered why that particular franchise shut down, as they seemed to do a decent amount of business.

[mollusk]

Methinks that Fish and the Knife is past its sell by date.

[matty1979]

Could you include Two Pesos in that argument?

Also:

-Breadsmith

-Roll N Wrap

-Funcoland.

-Albertson's

-Max-i-mos Pizza

-Grandys

-Larry's Shoes

-Drug Emporium

-Mobile One Audio

-Tweeter

-Lettuce Surprise You

-Rock & Roll Plus

-Shannon Surf Shop

-Hannah Barberra World

-Fame City

-Adventure Bay

Just to name a few. I know some might still be around or have merged with other businesses but just wanted to throw those out there.

[matty1979]

What about the place that was housed inside of the old Montgomery Ward's at Memorial City Mall? It was a big drug store or something like that then it was a music store.

Maybe Mars Music?

[matty1979]

Don't forget Pizza Roma on Dairy Ashford that built a massive new restaurant and the business was dead like a year later.

[Montrose1100]

There was a Chevron built on the southwest corner of Fountainview @ San Felipe that was torn down after for what seemed like a week. The brand new sign is there but the lot is now overgrown.

I know there were countless boutiques that sold expensive independent and name brand Italian and Parisian designers that were open for only months throughout the Houston area. Champions, Montrose, and Midtown... Most of them closed at the tail end of 2007.

There was a recent one next to El Rey on westheimer that sold the type of Ben Sherman shirts (the kind the Cameron character wears on Modern Family), that was open for the blink of an eye.

There was a nice little bar called Winetopia on San Felipe @ Winrock. I went a few times and every time you could tell the situation was getting worse and worse. Started out with classy people dressed up with low lounge music and ended up with a dj every night blaring music in the tiny space. The crowd became younger and smaller until it was gone.

One restaurant I'm upset about closing is Mancuso's Italian Table on Voss (close to Del Monte). The price point was on the same level as Carrabba's but blew every Italian eatery in the city out of the water. The food was high quality & flavorful, the wine list was top drawer, the service was old school. It's set to open up as another restaurant but progress has been slow.

There are countless bars and clubs Downtown and Washington that held up for a year or two (I can remember places like the Social back in the late 90's), to getting in underage in 2004 to bars along Main Street. Every time we went it seemed like there was a brand new place opening up and the others would dwindle.

Washington was the place to be when I moved back to Houston in 2010. It simmered late 2012. But bars don't usually last if they become super trendy in a super trendy area.

Anyways sorry for the rant.

[SpaceGhost]

There was a Supreme Sandwhiches location on 290 near W. 34th. The Streetview in 2011 shows it as under construction (retrofitting an old Denny's which moved in '06 across 290 to an old Ryan's). It finally opened in early 2012. They offered a pretty good deal (sandwich, chips, and drink for $2.50) and were frequented by HostGator employees from across the street. Supreme Sandwiches was evicted sometime in late 2012. The building sat vacant for a few months before it was torn down. Supreme Sandwiches put up a sign that indicated their intentions to return, the sign was torn down eventually as the 290 expansion encroached onto the former restaurant. As of 2015 the fence that was put up between the Days Inn and former Supreme Sandwiches location has had an ad painted on it for Supreme Sandwiches. So in total this place lasted only a few months.

 

Also how long was Just For Feet in Houston, 5 or so years?

[IronTiger]

I am kind of thinking about places that lasted for less than a year (some of the things listed above lasted longer...Albertsons spent 7 years in the area, and if we count restaurants with that lifespan or less, we'd be here all day). I mean, I read somewhere that indicated the old supermarket at Tidwell and Antoine did in fact open as an Albertsons briefly, as "supermarkets that open for a month or two" isn't unheard of (I learned that through the College Station Weingarten, which only lasted about 3 months or less in 1983). I'm betting malls have seen a LOT of things come and go within a short timespan as well.

[mkultra25]

Could you include Two Pesos in that argument?

 

I thought of Two Pesos too, but it didn't meet the standard for being short-lived - they were around from 1985-1992, when they sold out to Taco Cabana in the aftermath of the trade dress infringement lawsuit.

[august948]

I thought of Two Pesos too, but it didn't meet the standard for being short-lived - they were around from 1985-1992, when they sold out to Taco Cabana in the aftermath of the trade dress infringement lawsuit.

 

Did they ever have a Sombrero Rosa here?  Same concept as Two Pesos and Taco Cabana.  They had a couple in San Antonio for a while.

 

[SpaceGhost]

Oh the Circuit City in Katy Mills didn't last long. The grand opening was on March 30th, 2008 and closed with all the other stores sometime in early 2009. Also the Sharpstown Circuit City was the only location closed in the first round of closings (late 2008). The building was the newer format so it couldn't of been that old.

[mkultra25]

Did they ever have a Sombrero Rosa here?  Same concept as Two Pesos and Taco Cabana.  They had a couple in San Antonio for a while.

 

 

Don't think so. I don't recall ever seeing one. 

[DJboutit]

Tiger direct on I10 do not think it was open 2 full yrs

 

 

[SpaceGhost]

Tiger direct on I10 do not think it was open 2 full yrs

 

It was originally opened under the CompUSA name and swapped to Tiger Direct right before closing. It only lasted as Tiger Direct for a few months IIRC.

[plumber2]

Let's not forget (or maybe we have) the huge Incredible Universe store located on the West Loop. I'm sure Tandy would like to forget it, or wish they could. Big Flop if remember right. Probably stayed open 2-3 years, maybe longer.  

[SpaceGhost]

Let's mot forget (or maybe we have) the huge Incredible Universe store located on the West Loop. I'm sure Tandy would like to forget it, or wish they could. Big Flop if remember right. Probably stayed open 2-3 years, maybe longer.  

 

Tandy isn't around anymore to remember anything! They lasted from 1995-1997. I wish they would of stuck around, I remember it as being awesome!

[DJboutit]

Asian strip center 90 and the beltway right on the edge of Houston and Mo city limits.  They built like 40% to 60% of the strip center sat vacint and unfinished for like 6 to 8 yrs then they tore it down this was in the mid 90s by like 2005 to 2008 it was torn down. 

[SpaceGhost]

Oh also Food Lion was here only about a year. Dec. of 92 to early 94.

[Earlydays]

Food Lion got caught resetting expired dates on meat, etc.....They also disappeared from the Dallas market at the same time.

[fresnel151]

Appletree markets and Phar Mor drug stores came and went pretty quickly. 

[tomv]

Lucas Liquor Superstore at I10 and Kirkwood in an old Randall's location was short lived. They had plans for lots of other stores, not sure what happened. They did have a good selection. 

[GEM]

Houston Texans...........................

[Witch King]

Houston Texans...........................

 

LOL!

[SpaceGhost]

Thought of another one Fresh Market on Westheimer at Weslayan. The one which took over the old Rice and is now occupied by Walgreens. I think a couple of other locations closed at the same time which was around a year after opening.