businesses busted

3 Houston businesses lose liquor licenses following TABC investigations

Clé has once again lost its liquor license.

Following an eventful and controversial weekend of events, three Houston-area businesses have had their liquor permits suspended following Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission investigations that discovered violations of state requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the agency announced.

Emergency suspension orders were handed out to these businesses, per the TABC:

Houston Grooves LLC (Grooves, 2300 Pierce St.)

30-day suspension
Violation date: January 16

2301 Entertainment LLC (Clé, 2301 Main St.)

60-day suspension issued Jan. 19
Previous suspension issued September 8, 2020 (30 days)
Violation date: January 16-17

Spire Reception Hall LLC (Spire, 1720 Main St.)

90-day suspension issued Jan. 19
Previous suspensions issued July 1, 2020 (30 days) and October 20, 2020 (60 days)
Violation date: January 17

These three businesses are accused of violating Gov. Greg Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32. That order requires businesses that sell alcohol for on-premise consumption to comply with capacity limits as well as social distancing and facial covering requirements.

Emergency orders remain in effect pending the end of the suspension or a judge’s ruling. These businesses are entitled to a hearing before a state administrative judge to affirm the TABC decision, per an agency statement.

As CultureMap reported, Spire and Clé are embroiled in controversy following two massive weekend events put on by promoter Larry Morrow. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, in response to the events starring Trey Songz (Spire; which spurred a shutdown by the Houston Fire Department) and Bow Wow (Cle), called on a crackdown on businesses he feels are skirting the line between club and restaurant.

“I’m still getting some disturbing pictures of people hanging out in clubs that have been recategorized as restaurants,” Turner said on January 16. “And let me tell you, they are not restaurants.”

In response, Clé owner Zack Truesdell called foul on perceived disparity in scrutiny and reporting. “I see the Clé party that made national news and I see the Spire party. It’s always just videos of Black folks,” Truesdell told ABC13. “And I'm just not sure why that is when I know you go out to places and you see white folks partying and having a great time as well.”

A representative for Clé and Spire did not immediately return CultureMap’s request for comment.

CultureMap will update this story as it develops.

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Unhappy holidays

Porch pirates swipe nearly $2B in packages from Texas homes this year

Porch Pirate Person in Glasses Steals Packages

Getty Images

The Grinch isn't the only one stealing Christmas these days.

’Tis the season for porch pirates. If past trends are an indicator, the Grinch will swipe close to $2 billion worth of packages delivered to Texas households this year, with many of those thefts happening ahead of the holiday season.

An analysis of FBI and survey data by ecommerce marketing company Omnisend shows porch pirates stole more than $1.8 billion worth of packages from Texans’ porches last year. Porch pirates hit nearly one-third of the state’s households in 2024, according to the analysis.

Omnisend’s analysis reveals these statistics about porch piracy in Texas:

30.1 million residential package thefts in 2024.
An average household loss of $169 per year.
An annual average of 2.9 package thefts per household.

“Most stolen items are cheap on their own, but add them up, and retailers and consumers are facing an enormous bill,” says Omnisend.

Another data analysis, this one from The Action Network sports betting platform, unwraps different figures regarding porch piracy in Texas.

The platform’s 2025 Porch Pirate Index ranks Texas as the state with the highest volume of residential thefts, based on 2023-24 FBI data.

Researchers at The Action Network uncovered 26,293 reports of personal property thefts at Texas residences during that period. The network’s survey data indicates 5 percent of Texas residents had a package stolen in the three months before the pre-holiday survey.

The Porch Pirate Index calculates a 25.8 percent risk of a Texas household being victimized by porch pirates, putting it in the No. 5 spot among states with the highest risk of porch piracy.

The Action Network included online-search volume for terms like “package stolen” and “porch pirates.” Sustained spikes in these searches suggest that “people are actively looking for guidance after something has happened. Search trends serve as an early warning system, revealing emerging-risk areas well before annual crime statistics are released,” the network says.

Tips to avoid being a victim
So, how do you prevent porch pirates from snatching packages that end up on your porch? Omnisend, The Action Network and Amazon offer these eight tips:

Closely monitor deliveries and quickly retrieve packages.
Schedule deliveries for times when you’ll be home.
Use delivery lockers or in-store pickup when possible.
Ask delivery services to hide packages in out-of-sight spots outside your home.
Install a visible doorbell camera or security camera.
Coordinate deliveries with neighbors or building managers if you’ll be away from your home when packages are supposed to arrive.
Request that delivery services hold your packages if you can’t be home when they’re scheduled to come.
Illuminate the path to your doorstep and keep porch lights on.

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