Convenience Big Store: Katy Asian Town: A guide to the best bakeries and dessert shops

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H-E-B continues its Katy-area takeover.

We all know that Katy is growing rapidly, and H-E-B knows it, too.

The Texas-based grocery store is paying attention to our area, and its presence is growing accordingly.

Last week H-E-B opened its discount store, Joe V's Smart Shop, at the intersection of Fry Road and The Grand Parkway. At 55,000-square-feet, the Joe V's Smart Shop Katy store offers the same products carried by H-E-B but at a lower price point. Check out my coverage for the details.

Then we have the super H-E-B coming early 2024 that will accommodate the explosive growth in the northwest quadrant of Katy. The incoming H-E-B, under construction at 24924 Morton Ranch Road in The Market at Katy Park development, will also feature a 122,735-square-foot fulfillment center to process online orders.

And since whither H-E-B goes other retailers will follow, we'll have more than 20 new businesses cropping up in The Market at Katy.

It's not just Katy that's catching H-E-B's attention. Just to the north of us in Cypress, H-E-B is building a new location in Bridgeland, my co-hort Ralph Green writes.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on H-E-B's growing presence in Katy and northwest Houston. Are you surprised at all? Do you think H-E-B will continue to draw smaller businesses to the area?

Claire Goodman, Katy reporter

claire.goodman@houstonchronicle.com

Need to Know

Construction continues along Kuykendahl Road to widen it from a two-lane half boulevard to a four-lane full boulevard from Lake Woodlands Drive to Research Forest Drive. Five members of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors agreed on a resolution both supporting and opposing some aspects of the Montgomery County 2021 Major Thoroughfare Plan in an online meeting Wednesday.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer

Suburban street names, including some in Katy, honor German immigrants, pirates.

Houston's rich history is present in its street and community names. These suburban streets honor, or reference, specific moments in history and cultures important to the area.

A view of a busy restaurant kitchen cooking area, featuring stockpots, grilled food and clutter.

Photo by: Getty Images

Harris County restaurants with the most health code violations in 2023: Search our database.

Nearly 400 restaurants citywide were at risk of being shut down this year after inspectors uncovered a host of health violations, ranging from improper hand-washing to roach infestations.

Openings and Closings

Trilingual charter school International Leadership of Texas is now officially under construction.

The $42 million campus will serve 1,416 students in grades kindergarten through eighth.

ILTexas Richmond is scheduled to open by August 2024 at 1120 FM 359 Rd. in Richmond.

Shout out

Congratulations to the 74 exceptional educators honored as Katy ISD Campus Teachers of the Year.

"Our teachers invest countless hours of time and energy into ensuring that every Katy ISD student receives the very best educational experience possible," said superintendent Ken Gregorski. "These honorees have made a lasting impact in the lives of their students. Our community is proud of their commitment to excellence and congratulate them for their well-deserved recognition."

One last thing ...

The pickleball craze is moving faster than society's ability to keep up with it, my colleague Peter Warren reports.

"A new projection from an online Pickleball platform Pickleheads projects Texas will have to double its number of pickleball courts over the next five-to-seven years to keep up with increased demand from players," Peter writes.

I guess we better hurry up and get on that.