Goodbye and hello

End of an era? Most Rice Epicurean grocery stores to be replaced with FreshMarket

Four of five Rice Epicureans will be replaced with Fresh Markets.
Rice Epicurean Markets/Facebook
The four new branches mark Fresh Markets' first expansion into Texas.
The Fresh Market/Facebook
Rice Epicurean founder William Levy, left, stands before the Houston chain'sfirst location in Rice Village.
In addition to a vast selection of gourmet items, Fresh Markets offers anextensive line of prepared foods.
The Fresh Market/Facebook

Rice Epicurean — Houston's oldest family-owned grocery store chain — announced Wednesday that it will be paring down its presence in the Bayou City, as specialty food retailer Fresh Market takes over four of its five area locations. Rice Epicurean’s branch at 2020 Fountain View is not part of the agreement and will maintain its classic name.

The affected stores will remain open through the holiday season, before Fresh Market begins an extensive renovation project that will create its first forays into the Lone Star grocery market by fall 2013.

"We are excited to expand into Texas, and into Houston in particular," said Fresh Market president Craig Carlock in a statement. “We look forward to introducing The Fresh Market’s concept of quality perishable food, excellent customer service and unique shopping atmosphere to a new set of customers, and we look forward to offering our new neighbors a distinctive food shopping experience, one that we think cannot be beaten.”

Fresh Market promotes it stores as conveying "the atmosphere of an old world European market," offering what it calls "old-style" butcher shops, fish markets, delicatessens, bakeries and produce stands. The national chain also enjoys a solid reputation for extensive prepared food options.

“We are excited to welcome The Fresh Market to the Houston metropolitan area and to introduce their concept to our customers and neighbors," said Rice Epicurean spokesperson Bruce Levy. "We believe their stores will be an excellent fit in this market.”

Rice Epicurean began in 1937 as a small shop known as the the Rice Boulevard Food Market. After briefly going public in the late 1960s and expanding to four other locations, the grocery store gained national attention in 1988 after the launch of its "epicurean" concept — balancing a stock of special food with grocery staples.

In other grocery store news, Katy will be getting a new Whole Foods in late January as the organic grocer continues its Houston-area expansion along with Trader Joe's and Kroger. Since the summer, two other Whole Foods have been announced for northwest Houston and the Galleria area.

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rent report

Here's how much Houston rent prices have dropped since last year

Photo by Datingscout on Unsplash

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Rent prices are falling statewide, and Houston's have declined more than nearly all other major cities in Texas, according to a new national rent report from Zumper. Houston also has the fourth-cheapest rents in Texas.

The Zumper National Rent Report tracked year-over-year and month-over-month rent price changes in 100 U.S. cities for both one- and two-bedroom units using the most recent data available from May 2026.

Rent prices for one-bedroom units in Houston have dipped 9.6 percent year-over-year, to $1,130, which is the second-steepest decline in Texas. Two-bedroom rents have dropped nearly 5 percent from last year to $1,430.

The report also revealed that four of the 10 U.S. metros offering the most concessions are located in Texas. Austin leads nationally with more than a third of rental units "dangling incentives to fill space," followed by San Antonio and Houston. A separate rent report from real estate data firm CoStar found Houston had the fourth highest apartment vacancy rate in the U.S. in March, meaning residents may be able to save on their rent depending on the financial incentives offered by landlords.

Additionally, these same markets offering generous rent concessions are also among the 10 U.S. metros with the largest population growth, which Zumper says signals ongoing tension between tenants and their landlords regarding prices.

"So while Texas absorbed a significant share of the 2023-2025 supply wave, inventory still has to lease up before landlords regain pricing power, and the steady inflow of new residents says the demand is there," the report stated. "It’s just a question of when supply stops outrunning it."

From 2023 to 2024, Texas gained nearly 73,000 net new renters, making it the No. 1 magnet for renters nationwide.

Rent prices elsewhere in Texas
San Antonio saw the steepest drop in rent prices statewide, with one-bedroom rents falling by 10.4 percent to $950. Two-bedroom units have declined 6 percent year-over-year to $1,250.

Arlington was the only major Texas city where rent prices increased from May 2025 to May 2026. One-bedroom rent increased nearly 3 percent to $1,090, and two-bedroom rent increased 2.1 percent to $1,480.

Zumper annual rent changes in Texas cities Zumper

These are the rent prices for other Texas cities in May 2026:

Austin: $1,420 for one-bedroom units; $1,860 for two-bedroom units
Dallas: $1,350 for one bedroom; $1,900 for two bedrooms
El Paso: $810 for one bedroom; $1,130 for two bedrooms
Fort Worth: $1,240 for one bedroom; $1,560 for two bedrooms
Irving: $1,280 for one bedroom; $1,610 for two bedrooms
Plano: $1,360 for one bedroom; $1,900 for two bedrooms

rent rent report zumper apartments real estate houston

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rent report

Here's how much Houston rent prices have dropped since last year