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    vote 86ed ... for now

    Houston City Council tables controversial Pappas Restaurants-Hobby Airport vote

    Steven Devadanam
    Mar 1, 2023 | 10:25 am
    Pappas Bar-B-Q Hobby airport
    Photo by Julia Casbarian

    Houston City Council tabled the crucial vote that will determine that fate of Pappas Restaurants at Hobby Airport on Wednesday, March 1. By rule, that "tag" from City Council means the vote will take place next week.

    City Council Member Abbie Kamin (District C) tagged the vote; three yes votes were not present at council on Wednesday, City of Houston sources tell CultureMap.

    "I tagged the item, along with Council Member Gallegos, to allow more time for consideration to ensure this item isn't rushed," Kamin tells CultureMap via email. "There were multiple Council Members absent today, and it is important that they are able to vote on this item as well."

    That means a wait for the longtime and beloved Houston family restaurant empire as a proposed concessions contract would end the Pappas' 20-year run at Hobby.

    As CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler previously reported, the 10-year, $470 million dollar deal is with Areas, a subsidiary of the Spain-based Areas SAU, which operates concessions in more than 80 airports worldwide and nine in the United States.

    Pappas' potential end doesn't mean an end to local restaurants at Hobby. The proposed deal would see restaurants such as Killen’s Barbecue, SpindleTap Brewery, Thoroughgood Coffee, and Galveston’s The Spot coming to the airport, — as well as national chains such as Raising Cane’s and Longhorn Steakhouse.

    Eliciting public support, Pappas Restaurants launched a social media campaign — dubbed #SaveOurPappas — calling on supporters to urge Houston City Council to reject the controversial contract.

    Christina Pappas or Pappas Restaurant told Sandler that the company has concerns about how city scored the bids to determine the winner. The company’s proposal includes many of its popular restaurants, including Pappasito’s, Pappas Burger, Pappadeaux, and Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse. It also includes local bakery the Original Kolache Shoppe and Chick-fil-A.

    “We’re asking for transparency. We’re asking to look at the score cards,” she said. “We’re asking to see what the numbers look like. We’re asking why one of the RFPs was abruptly canceled. We’re asking that council is provided with all the information they need to make the decision that’s best for the City of Houston.”

    The city has declined requests to release the scoring sheets, the Chronicle reports.

    Mayor Sylvester Turner and Pappas went back and forth on Tuesday, February 28 over the deal — and even food-related semantics — CultureMap news partner ABC13 reports.

    "The structure of the rent that the city is asking is different. It is not apples to apples, sir. It is not apples to apples, so if you're trying to make it apples to apples, our current contract versus what's in the bid, they're not made the same way. It's an apple and an orange," Pappas said to Turner.

    "No, it's not," Turner responded. "I know apples and apples, and I know apples and oranges, and I know oranges and oranges," Turner responded. "But since you are criticizing the numbers, and you are here, let's deal with them."

    Now, it seems City Council will deal with the apples and oranges involved with this crucial vote next week.

    -----

    Eric Sandler contributed to this article.

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    Winter Wonderland

    Houston shines as top-10 hottest winter travel destination of 2026

    Amber Heckler
    Oct 29, 2026 | 9:00 am
    Christmas Village at Bayou Bend
    Photo courtesy of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
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    Houston's sunny disposition and affordable holiday happenings make it a hotspot for a winter getaway, and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land has just been declared the No. 6 best winter destination for warm-weather lovers in 2026.

    The ranking comes in WalletHub's new study, "Best Winter Holiday Destinations," which analyzed 69 U.S. metros based on the cost and convenience of traveling and the affordability of local attractions and activities. The rankings were categorized into six key dimensions: travel costs and hassles, local costs, attractions, weather, warm-weather activities, and safety, and the results were broken down by cold weather and warm weather.

    Las Vegas leads the nation as the No. 1 best warm-weather winter destination, while Atlanta, Georgia ranks No. 1 among cold winter wonderlands.

    The report found Houston ranks No. 3 nationwide for its "travel costs and hassles," and the metro also boasts the fourth-lowest "local costs," which included the cost of a three-star hotel room, the average price for a two-person meal, taxi fares costs, and the cost of living.

    Here's how WalletHub broke down the metro's ranking across the remaining categories:

    • No. 6 – Attractions
    • No. 7 – Warm-weather winter activities
    • No. 23 – Weather
    • No. 34 – Safety

    While Halloween is still on the horizon, that hasn't stopped local businesses from sharing their jolly events happening around Houston this holiday season.

    "Whether you love to have a chill in your bones during the winter travel season or prefer to escape to somewhere sunny, the top travel destinations can cost as little as $200-$300 to reach by plane from major U.S. cities, with no connections," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the top cities also have an abundance of attractions that fit their weather patterns, along with high-quality restaurants and relatively low crime rates."

    Texas dominates the 10 best warm-weather winter destinations for 2026 with Dallas-Fort Worth (No. 3), Austin (No. 4), and San Antonio (No. 9) joining Houston. Four other Texas cities earned spots lower on the list: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (No. 26), Brownsville-Harlingen (No. 31), Corpus Christi (No. 33), and Beaumont-Port Arthur (No. 35).

    The top 10 best warm-weather winter destinations for 2026 are:

    • No. 1 – Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada
    • No. 2 – San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California
    • No. 3 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
    • No. 4 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
    • No. 5 – Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona
    • No. 6 – Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas
    • No. 7 – Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida
    • No. 8 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
    • No. 9 – San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas
    • No. 10 – San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California
    winter destinationswinter festivitieswallethubreportshouston
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