Retail Therapy

More stores hit West Ave, including a blow dry bar & Tootsies' male counterpart

Blow dry bars are popping up in hot spots around the country and Houston isgetting one at West Ave.
West Ave is shaping up with more new stores.
Photo by Ralph Bivins
Q Custom Clothier aims to give men an answer to Tootsies at West Ave.

West Ave, currently the epicenter for new Houston retail, restaurant and beauty openings, is unveiling three more storefronts in the coming months. Q Custom Clothier, Bang & Olufsen and Do Bar will be the latest concepts to call West Ave home.

While the female fashion flock heads to Tootsies, their male counterparts can shop at Q Custom Clothier, a boutique stocked with custom shirts and suits, shoes, leather goods, accessories, cufflinks and luggage. The Dallas import opened in 1965 and owner Raja Ratan chose Houston for its first expansion location. The men’s shop is expected to open in the summer.

Sisters Ronit Levy Mele and Sharon Levy opened their Ivory Bridal Atelier at West Ave in January and were mum about other retailers headed to the center, although they quietly shared the news of one store, Bang & Olufsen. Filled with top-of-the-line music systems, loudspeakers, televisions, telephones, accessories and other multimedia products, the store is set to open late spring or early summer.

And how did the Ivory owners know about the impending opening? Their father is opening the store.

Popular in New York and Los Angeles, Houston is set to get its first blow dry bar. Do Bar, a spot for blowouts, updos and conditioning treatments is set to open at West Ave in June. Craft Salon owner Cara Crafton believes local women should have the opportunity to treat themselves and their hair.

“Women love to have their hair blow dried but it’s a luxury many don’t afford themselves or something they only do for a special occasion. We are taking it to the next level and making it quick, accessible and affordable,” Crafton said.

Blowouts will take 30 to 45 minutes and cost $35. Customers will choose from a blow-dry menu with options such as Sleek & Straight and Big & Bouncy.

There is also word of at least one other well-established men’s and women’s boutique finalizing plans for a West Ave move, but lips are sealed until the deal is done.

As new spaces are opening, there is news of Rome Salon and Day Spa shuttering its doors in November after opening in June 2010.

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warehouses to wow

New development with 1-acre green space coming to Memorial City area

Courtesy of Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

Greenside will feature a one-acre greenspace.

The rapidly-growing area around Memorial City Mall will soon add another new development. Called Greenside, it will transform a group of industrial buildings into a mix of restaurant, retail, and other family-friendly businesses.

Located just north of Memorial City Mall at 1085 Gessner Rd., Greenside unites Memorial City owner Metronational with Radom Capital, the Houston-based developer behind M-K-T Heights, the Montrose Collective, and the ongoing redevelopment of the historic Tower Theater. They’ve retained the Texas-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture to transform a group of industrial warehouses into 35,000-square-feet of new businesses.

Plans call for a one-acre green space that includes a mix of seating options and strings of lights. Walkways will connect Greenside with nearby restaurants and bars such as Torchy’s Taco, Mia’s Table, and Kirby Ice House.

“The community continues to ask for more unique retail and restaurant offerings, and with the help of Radom Capital and Michael Hsu, we will deliver a one-of-a-kind offering to the Memorial City area with a great outdoor experience,” MetroNational president and CEO Jason Johnson said in a statement. “This project represents MetroNational’s commitment to creating spaces that foster community and deliver long-term value for Memorial City and the surrounding neighborhoods.”

Construction is expected to begin in the spring. If everything goes according to schedule, the first tenants could open in summer 2026.

The past year has seen a number of new additions to the Memorial City area. They include Texas comfort food restaurant Haywire, Detroit-style pizzeria Via 313, live fire restaurant Credence, and a second location of Montrose barbecue favorite The Pit Room. Next year, new locations of The Burger Joint and the Taco Stand will open nearby at 1016 Gessner Rd.

memorial city greenside openings