little store, big help

New Second Ward grocery store delivers fresh and healthy staples to food-insecure neighborhood

The store packs a lot into 800-square-feet.

Courtesy of Little Red Box Grocery

Food-obsessed Houstonians may be flocking to Cafe Louie in the Second Ward for pastries and sandwiches, but the new restaurant isn't the only new arrival make life better for area residents. Its adjacent grocery store is equally worthy of attention.

The Little Red Box Grocery aims to combat the neighborhood's status as a food desert — an area that's designed by the USDA as having less access to healthy food and more access to unhealthy food — with fresh ingredients, meal kits, and pantry staples. Shoppers will find everything from fresh produce and cereal to dairy items and more on its shelves. Recently, the store started accepting SNAP/EBT (food stamps), which is critical in a neighborhood with a median household income of under $31,000, according to a release.

Owner Samuel Newman brings expertise from time at H-E-B, where he studied SNAP/WIC households, as well as from local non-profit Brighter Bites. He sees the 800-square-foot store as a benefit to the neighborhood.

“We wanted to build a store for everyone,” Newman said in a statement. “A true gathering spot for Second Ward residents, and a counterpoint to current neighborhood grocery offerings that are either inconvenient and/or offer high cost/poor choice, specifically when it comes to fresh produce and pantry essentials.”

Both Harris County and the Reinvestment Fund, a national non-profit that describes itself as “a mission-driven financial institution committed to making communities work for all people,” have provided Little Red Box with Healthy Food Financing Initiative funding. In addition, the store is working with the American Heart Association and New Hope Housing to build awareness and improve its offerings.

“The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives,” American Heart Association Greater Houston Gulf Coast senior vice president Mel Edwards said. “We are honored to collaborate with Little Red Box for expansion of a healthier food system, and to see SNAP benefits accepted as part of their business model.”

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Hot Houston hand roll spot is first restaurant at new EaDo development

Handies Douzo Facebook

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Houstonians with a seemingly unlimited appetite for sushi hand rolls will soon have another destination to satisfy their cravings. Handies Douzo will open its next location in East Blocks, an adaptive reuse project in EaDo.

On track to open in late 2026 or early 2027 at 1107 Hutchins Street, the EaDo location will be Handies Douzo’s fifth, joining the original in the Heights as well as restaurants in Montrose, Spring Branch, and an upcoming outpost in Uptown’s new Central Park Post Oak development. Like those siblings, it will serve Handies’ familiar menu of hand rolls (temaki), crudos, and sashimi that’s overseen by founding chefs and co-owners Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham. The 2,000-square-foot space will feature Handies’ familiar U-shaped counter seating.

Handies is known for wrapping its rolls in crispy seaweed that gives each bite a distinct crunch. The well-executed dishes and affordable prices helped Handies earn a nomination for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

"We've been very intentional about where we grow, and East Blocks immediately stood out," Pham and Lee said in a statement. "There's an authenticity to EaDo and a strong sense of community that aligns with our brand. We're excited to be part of a project focused on creating an energetic, walkable destination."

1107 Hutchins rendering Handies will occupy 2,000 square feet at 1107 Hutchins.Courtesy of Pagewood

1107 Hutchins and the nearby 2202 Dallas — each of which are 15,000 square feet — represent phase one of local real estate firm Pagewood’s plans to East Blocks. First announced in 2023, plans call for renovating warehouses into a walkable district of shops, restaurants, offices, and green space. Gensler is leading architecture and design for the project, with landscape architecture by SWA.

"East Blocks reflects a long-term belief in EaDo and the kind of place it’s becoming," said Mat Volz, Managing Principal of PAGEWOOD. "As the project has evolved, our commitment to that vision has only strengthened. Breaking ground on Phase 1 is an exciting step forward, particularly as this neighborhood prepares to welcome the world. With the FIFA Fan Festival taking place just steps from East Blocks and bringing thousands of visitors daily to EaDo, we see this project playing a meaningful role in that energy and in the long-term evolution of the district."

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