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    New Texas Bus Service

    New bus service zeroes in on travel across Texas with Uber-like efficiency

    Clifford Pugh
    Aug 15, 2016 | 9:00 am

    Beginning this week, it's going to be easier to get to and from five Texas cities, thanks to a new bus service that promises to Shofur travelers around the Lone Star State with Uber-like efficiency.

    The new service, which offers 12 daily routes between Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Waco starting August 15, offers amenities such as reclining seats, Wi-Fi, power outlets, and the option to select your seat on the bus in advance just as you would on an airplane.

    Just as with Uber, riders can track their bus in real time on a mobile app and will receive an automatic notification if their bus is late. And like the ride-sharing service, it doesn't own its buses but uses charter services under the Shofur name and asks for riders to rate the bus driver and the experience on the app.

    The brand, called Shofur — a play on the word "chauffeur," promises to revolutionize bus travel, says founder Armir Harris. His family launched a large bus charter service for the Democratic National Convention in 2012 by aggregating bus companies and now provides such services for South by Southwest, the Super Bowl and major conventions, using more than 400 bus companies in more than 100 locations nationwide.

    From that experience, Harris came up with a similar concept for personal bus travel."There's a stigma to bus travel. Our goal is to change that," he said during a Houston stop to tout the new service.

    He picked Texas to launch the service because of the relatively close proximity of major cities. "Texas is a great market because there are cities that are a little too far to drive to and too close to fly," he says, positioning Shofur as an alternative to flying Southwest Airlines.

    Riders can book bus tickets on the website, via the mobile app, or by calling 1-800-436-8710. A one-way ticket from Houston to Dallas costs between $20 and $50, depending on how far in advanced it is booked, Harris said. A sampling of one-way fares on the Shofur website are $9 for Austin-San Antonio, $11 Waco-Dallas, $19 Houston-Austin, and $33 San Antonio-Dallas.

    In each of the five Texas cities, Shofur does not have brick-and-mortar buildings, but rather has on-the-street pick ups in central locations. In Houston, it's 1200 Louisiana at Clay in downtown, in Austin it's at 35 Brazos Street, in Dallas at 1010 Ross Avenue, in San Antonio at 879 East Commerce, and in Waco on Kendrick.

    Later this year, Harris hopes to expand the service to other Texas cities, including several college towns, and adjoining states.

    Shofur chose to launch in Texas because of the close proximity of large cities.

    Shofur Texas logo
      
    Facebook/Shofur
    Shofur chose to launch in Texas because of the close proximity of large cities.
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    news/innovation

    a metro of entrepreneurs

    Houston isn't as business-friendly as other Texas cities, study finds

    Amber Heckler
    Apr 23, 2025 | 9:30 am
    Downtown Houston
    Photo by Damaris Martin on Unsplash
    WalletHub says Houston's business climate has barely improved in the last year.

    Houston's reputation for being an entrepreneurial and business powerhouse was just snubbed in WalletHub's new list of the "Best Large Cities to Start a Business" in 2025. The Energy Capital of the World only moved up four spots and ranked No. 34 nationwide.

    The annual report ranked 100 U.S. cities based on 19 metrics across three main categories: business environment, access to resources, and costs. Factors considered in the report include five-year business survival rates, job growth comparisons from 2019 and 2023, office space affordability, and more.

    The sunny Florida city of Orlando (No. 1) topped the list as the best large city for starting a business this year.

    Houston's business climate has improved slightly since 2024 when the city previously ranked No. 38.

    Houston performed the best in the national business environment category, ranking No. 33 out of all 100 cities in the report. It fell behind in the categories for "business costs" and "access to resources" and only mustered up into No. 50 and No. 65, respectively.

    "Starting a business can be very scary, considering one in every five startups doesn’t make it past the first year," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "That’s why it’s especially important to live in a city that provides an environment where new businesses can thrive, with enough capital, workers and customers to keep it going long-term."

    Despite this study's less-than-stellar review of the city's entrepreneurial spirit, there are many Houston-based businesses that reigned superior on Fortune’s 2025 list of "America’s Most Innovative Companies."

    Local space tech startups are also pioneering new low orbit projects and lunar missions, so the city clearly has an appreciation for innovation.

    Elsewhere in Texas
    Austin was the only Texas city to rank among the top 10 best big cities to start a business in 2025, climbing up into the No. 3 spot.

    "Businesses that are currently in Austin are thriving, as the city has a very high growth rate in the number of small businesses," the report said. "It also has the best employment growth in the country, which makes it more likely that new businesses will be able to find employees."

    Dallas-Fort Worth had the greatest concentration of cities on the list, contributing six out of 13 total Texas cities, and all of them among the top 50: Fort Worth (No. 11), Arlington (No. 15), Dallas (No. 16), Irving (No. 22), Garland (No. 29), and Plano (No. 43).

    Other large Texas cities that were named among the best places to start a business in 2025 include Lubbock (No. 33), Laredo (No. 44), San Antonio (No. 64), El Paso (No. 67), and Corpus Christi (No. 70).

    The top 10 best large cities to start a business in 2025 are:

    • No. 1 – Orlando, Florida
    • No. 2 – Tampa, Florida
    • No. 3 – Austin, Texas
    • No. 4 – Jacksonville, Florida
    • No. 5 – Miami, Florida
    • No. 6 – St. Petersburg, Florida
    • No. 7 – Boise, Idaho
    • No. 8 – Atlanta, Georgia
    • No. 9 – Raleigh, North Carolina
    • No. 10 – Hialeah, Florida
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    news/innovation

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