What's in a name?

Sugar Land turns down nearly $5 million for name change, gives strict counter offer to sexy site

SugarDaddie.com just won't take no for an answer.

A mere week after Sugar Land rejected the dating website's $500,000 offer to change its name to "SugarDaddie.com, Texas," the Los Angeles-based company decided to raise its proposition to $4.65 million — the average cost of a Super Bowl television ad, according to a company spokesperson.

"The city had a meeting with SugarDaddie and they did up their offer," Doug Adolph with the City of Sugar Land communications office tells CultureMap. "Once again, Sugar Land is still not for sale . . . although it is very nice when someone says such wonderful things about your city."

"Sugar Land is still not for sale ."

The online dating site — "where the classy, attractive and affluent meet," — made its initial half-million offer on Feb. 12 with a rather hefty list of requirements.

In exchange for the money, the affluent Houston suburb was required to change its name to SugarDaddie.com for a full decade. Local parks, public buildings and municipal agencies also all needed to reflect the name change. (Need any books from the SugarDaddie.com Community Library?)

Adolph says that Sugar Land mayor James A. Thompson kindly rejected the dating service's advances yet again. This time, however, he decided to make a counter-offer.

"With Rick Perry's recent campaign to bring California businesses to Texas, the mayor offered to help SugarDaddie.com relocate to Sugar Land," Adolph explains. "In exchange for the assistance, half of the money the company saves by being based in Texas would be donated to charity.

"We thought it was a great deal."

Much to Thompson's disappointment, SugarDaddie declined.

For the second time in a week, Sugar Land officials declined.

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Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, beginning with a French cafe's upcoming U.S. debut. Plus, inside the hottest new bar in the Heights. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then visit this guide for festive weekend fun.

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3. New York Times critic awards Houston restaurant 2 stars in glowing review. Let’s just call 2025 the year of ChòpnBlọk. In a review published December 16, the New York Times awarded the Houston restaurant two stars (“very good”).

4. Family-friendly Houston restaurant picks Missouri City for 6th location. A family-friendly Houston restaurant will soon open its sixth location. Local Table is expected to open in Missouri City in January.

Coming soon to Missouri City. houston.culturemap.com

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