grab that 12!

7 Houston-area Apple stores set to reopen in time for new iPhone 12

Stores such as Highland Village will open Sunday, October 18.

As America clamors for the new iPhone 12 and all its variations, Houston’s seven Apple stores are preparing to open to meet what promises to be furious demand in the coming week.

Stores at Memorial City Mall, Highland Village, and the Galleria will open on Sunday, October 18, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Meanwhile, stores in Willowbrook, First Colony, Baybrook, and The Woodlands malls will open Tuesday, October 20. The store hours have shortened, according to the Apple website, and the stores aren't currently offering training or tech support sessions.

As local Apple fans are painfully aware, Apple closed its Houston stores in June due to concerns of the growing coronavirus pandemic.

“Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas,” Apple told CultureMap at the time. “We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible. For help with an Apple product, more ways to shop, or additional information on our stores, please visit http://apple.com/retail.”

Other stores in Texas have slowly reopened; Houston is finally following suit.

Earlier this week, Apple announced the iPhone 12 line and started pre-orders for the four smartphones. They will be available in-store or delivered on October 23. Apple also welcomed pre-orders for the latest version of its iPad Air tablet on Friday, October 16, Dwight Silverman of the Chronicle notes.

An Apple spokesperson did not immediately return CultureMap’s request for more details or comment.

openings technology

what about your friends?

Rapidly expanding Houston restaurant group befriends Rice Village with shareable plates and craft cocktails

Courtesy of ALife Hospitality Group

The menu includes this penne pasta.

A rapidly growing Houston restaurant and bar group will soon arrive in Rice Village. ALife Hospitality is opening FRNDS Restaurant & Lounge on April 1.

Located in the former Mi Luna space at 2442 University Blvd., FRNDS (pronounced “friends”), aims to be a gathering spot for groups. Although ALife is well established with concepts such as Kamp, Lost & Found, and the recently-opened Bungalow Downtown Dining, the new establishment will be its first in Rice Village.

“The space sort of picked us,” ALife partner Junior Martin tells CultureMap. “While looking for new opportunities, we viewed several locations in different areas of the city. After touring the property during the day and at night, it gave us a vision of what was missing from the Rice Village area and from our hospitality offerings to the city of Houston.”

Those offerings begin with a menu of tapas-style shareable plates created by ALife culinary director Mark Holley. Best known for his time at seafood restaurant Pesce and his current role at Davis Street at Hermann Park, Holley’s menu includes Coconut Curry Shrimp Skewers, Crab Avocado Dip, and Red Curry Fried Calamari. Diners will also find truffle pasta, shrimp cocktail, and baby back ribs. For his part, Martin recommends the wagyu dumplings and chicken satay.

“Several of the menu choices are shareable items to enjoy with your friends,” Martin adds. “This fosters a vibe of fellowship with your group and allows [everyone] to explore multiple menu items together.”

FRNDS pairs its dishes with a range of craft cocktails. Highlights include the Pineapple Patron and a popcorn cocktail that comes with a sidecar of kernels.

FRNDS Pineapple Patron cocktail Behold the Pineapple Patron.Courtesy of ALife Hospitality Group

Renovations to the space include adding royal blue and purple booths, marble bar and table tops, and wood accents.

Rice Village has seen a number of new openings in the past few months, including Navy Blue, the new seafood restaurant from the Bludorn team; Sushi by Hidden, an omakase restaurant from the owners of Hidden Omakase; a new location of Chinese American restaurant the Rice Box; Australian-inspired coffee shop Bluestone Lane; and Eau Tour, a French restaurant from Local Foods owner Benjy Levit.

ALife Hospitality FRNDS Restaurant & Lounge Rice Village openings news-you-can-eat