Montrose drying up?

Amid news of Montrose H-E-B TABC troubles, longtime Fiesta's days may benumbered

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church & School
Photo via Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church & School
Photo by Clifford Pugh

When the new Montrose Market H-E-B opened Nov. 16, excited area residents might have noticed one section of the 78,000-square-foot store in particular: The cordoned off beer and wine section.

H-E-B was likely in an understandable rush to open before Thanksgiving and did so before the grocer had secured its liquor license from the TABC. Like the Montrose Whole Foods, it plans a craft beer and wine bar, near the coffee shop, where shoppers can buy alcohol to consume on-site.

Now almost one month later, the market has still failed to secure its liquor license, due in part to a protest by nearby St. Stephen's Episcopal School. (Although the church's main campus is more than the required 300 feet away on the corner of West Alabama and Woodhead, a smaller satellite building used for classrooms is closer to the H-E-B site on the corner of Woodhead and Sul Ross.)

The TABC Houston field office confirms that St. Stephen's protested the license and that a hearing has already taken place on the issue. TABC attorney Sandra Patton tells CultureMap that it's now up to a county judge to deny or grant the license, which should happen in the next few weeks. If the judge denies the license, Patton says H-E-B can file for an appeal in district court or request another hearing.

A spokesperson for H-E-B and for St. Stephen's could not immediately be reached for comment.

It's more than a buzzkill for area residents who were excited for the opening of the new flagship store, especially given the recent news reported by Swamplot and the Houston Chronicle that the Fiesta across the street, which has been in operation 50 years and has been a long-time neighborhood favorite for its extensive and reasonably priced wine department, might be on the way out.

Owner Suzanne Levin has hired Cushman & Wakefield to market the nearly 4-acre property that currently houses Fiesta and several smaller stores and is said to be entertaining offers. Variance signs posted around the strip center that houses the grocer indicate that a new development is in the works in its place, and employees at the antiques store in the same shopping center said a mid-rise is rumored for the property.

Tell us: Are you disappointed to hear that Fiesta might be closing? Are you surprised H-E-B opened without its liquor license?

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want to ride my bicycle

Houston's citywide bike ride goes west with 3 routes for 2026

Courtesy of Houston First Corporation

Tour de Houston will take riders from downtown through West Houston.

Once again, Houstonians have the opportunity to explore their city on a lengthy bike ride. The Tour de Houston returns Sunday, April 26, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced.

Presented by the Apache Corporation, an oil and gas company, the annual ride began in 2005 as a way to celebrate the beauty and diversity of Houston neighborhoods.

Similar to last year’s route, riders will begin and end at Discovery Green and the Avenida Plaza in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center. With distances of 10, 20, and 45 miles, the ride is open to beginners, intermediates, and those training for te MS 150. Riders will travel west through downtown, Memorial Park, Tanglewood, Piney Point Village, Bunker Hill Village, and Briar Forest — almost all the way to Highway 6 — before returning.

Along the route, cyclists will have the opportunity to take breaks at rest stops with music and entertainment, as well as medical support and on-site bike mechanics. Upon returning to downtown, riders can stay for a post-ride party at Discovery Green with food and drinks, music, and an expo with local bike shops and bike clubs.

“I’m grateful to Apache for their longstanding support of this event and our community. Tour de Houston is something that cyclists of all ages and abilities truly look forward to each year,” Mayor Whitmire said in a statement. “It’s a great way to experience our city from a new perspective while directly supporting our beautification and reforestation work through Re-Plant Houston. I encourage everyone to ride, volunteer, or support this year’s event.”

RePlant is a program through the Houston Parks and Recreation Department that increases the amount of canopy trees in the city. Since 2005, the event has raised more than $1.2 million for the RePLant project.

Registration is open now. Riders are encouraged to sign up before the price increases from $50 (kids 12 and under $35).

bicycle tour de houston parks recreation