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Welcome to AM Intel, a (mostly) daily round-up of Houston’s hottest bits of dining intel.
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Trae tha Truth will open an ice cream shop with a mission in Katy
Houston rapper Trae tha Truth has signed on as one of the first franchisees for Dallas-based ice cream shop Howdy Homemade. Trae announced the partnership last week on his Instagram account, writing about Howdy Homemade’s mission to employ adults with autism, Down syndrome, and other disabilities. The ice cream chain, which serve flavors like Dr Pepper chocolate chip, orange dreamsicle, and cold brew, was founded in Dallas in 2015. Founder Tom Landis recently told the Dallas Morning News that he was opening the chain up to franchising in Texas and other states as a way to employ more special-needs adults. Trae’s shop, at 20920 Katy Freeway, will open July 22 — also known as Trae Day.
The Annie Cafe & Bar reopens after kitchen fire in May
The Annie Cafe & Bar and sibling restaurant Turner’s reopened on Saturday, June 26, more than a month after a May 19 kitchen fire caused extensive water damage to the restaurant. (Turner’s was not damaged in the fire, but the two restaurants share a kitchen.) The restaurant will celebrate its grand reopening on Tuesday, June 29, with an event honoring the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association.
Houston’s craft brewery scene grew by more than 300 percent in the past eight years
A new report from real estate firm NAI Partners shows just how much growth Houston’s craft brewery scene has undergone in the past eight years — increasing by more than 344 percent since 2013. Community Impact first reported on the study, which shows that there are now 71 craft breweries in the Houston area, up from 16 in 2013, the year the state of Texas passed a law allowing breweries to sell beer direct to consumers. The area also got a slight bump in 2008, going from one to three craft breweries. Before that, Saint Arnold, founded in 1994, was the sole craft brewery in the region.
