• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    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 offers such amenities as reclining seats, Wi-Fi, power outlets, and the option to select your seat just as you would on an airplane.

    Shofur bus interior
      
    Photo courtesy of Shofur
    Shofur offers such amenities as reclining seats, Wi-Fi, power outlets, and the option to select your seat just as you would on an airplane.
    transportationapps
    news/innovation

    chill out

    Houston event giant powers up with another strategic acquisition

    Jef Rouner
    Mar 27, 2025 | 11:30 am
    Emoloyees at Houston Tents & Events posing outside a box truck.
    Photo by the Scurfield Group
    The Houston Tents & Events team

    Houston Tents & Events (HTE) continues to grow. The company recently acquired 3 Phase Rentals, which will increase their capability to offer portable HVAC services as the heat of summer and the festival season draws nigh.

    “With 3 Phase Rentals joining our family, we’re taking our power and HVAC services to the next level,” HTE Chief Operating Officer Darren Randle said. “Mike and his team have been the gold standard in event power for years, and we’re proud to bring their expertise under the HTE umbrella. Whether it’s a high-profile event, a corporate activation, or critical emergency response, we’re now better equipped than ever to provide seamless, reliable solutions.”

    The "Mike" Randle refers to is Mike Rape, who along with his son, Carter, will both be joining HTE's power division as executives. When he founded 3 Phase Rentals in 2008 as a support arm for his production company Audio Visual Professional Group, Rape's team was just himself and one other employee. However, they quickly built a reputation as a solid provider of various outdoor and portable power solutions for different events. In addition to bringing always-appreciated air conditioning to celebrations in the muggy Bayou City, they have specialized in silent generators, technical consultants, power system logistics, and construction.

    The acquisition continues an upward trajectory for Rape and his family. In 2021, the family opened a honey wine space in Conroe, The Farm Meadery. Rape's wife Cathy, who studied at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, spearheaded the development of the tasting room during the time when the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the event business.

    HTE is rising as well. Last year, they acquired A Finer Event following the death of founder Mike Little , making them one of the largest event coordinator firms in the city. Houston Business Journal ranked HTE as one of the 25 fastest growing businesses in the Southwest Region in 2024, and with the gain of 3 Phase Rentals that distinction is likely to continue.

    However, HTE still has significant competition from Town and Country Party Rentals, which is also on an acquisition streak. Last year they grew spectacularly after re-absorbing Aztec Rentals, vastly increasing HTE's competitors' footprint in the city.

    The addition of 3 Phase Rentals will be a potent tool for HTE, who regularly executes massive events for Space Center Houston, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Pride Houston, University of Houston, Rice University, Sam Houston State University, Houston Dynamo, and the Houston Botanic Garden. At least, these festivities should be a little bit cooler now thanks to Rape's position in HTE.

    “3 Phase Rentals has always been about delivering rock-solid power solutions for Houston’s biggest events,” Rape said. “By joining Houston Tents & Events, we’re gaining the resources, reach and momentum to do even more. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”

    businesshouston tents events
    news/innovation

    most read posts

    Colorful Texas handbag maker opens new flagship store in Katy

    TikTok food critic Keith Lee awards $50,000 to Pearland dessert shop

    Shuttered Heights eatery will soon transform into a neighborhood cocktail bar

    Loading...