HOUSTON (AP) - For years John and Veronica Avila have shared a soft spot for Houston’s old Sixth Ward. They admired the feel of the neighborhood with its Victorian homes, brick streets, and charming character tucked just off the Washington Corridor.
The Houston Chronicle reports today, they have channeled that passion into a business in the heart of the Sixth Ward. Their Henderson & Kane General Store at 715 Henderson (at Kane) only recently opened its doors and will mark its grand opening on July Fourth when the Sixth Ward is crowded with folks catching the fireworks over Eleanor Tinsley Park and Sam Houston Park.
By that time the store’s shelves should be fully stocked not with just neighborhood store essentials but with artisan provisions including farm eggs and milk, local honey, farmers market herbs and berries, boutique spices and roasted coffee, and various hand-drafted small batch products. Already the store is offering wine and beer, a coffee and espresso program, and a dessert case full of quiche, croissants, dessert tarts, muffins and bagels.
The owners of El Burro & the Bull barbecue inside downtown Houston’s Conservatory food hall aren’t about to leave out their claim to fame. The store also will sell their craft barbecue - smoked brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs, smoked turkey, sausage and boudin - as well as sandwiches, side dishes and specials such as loaded baked potatoes, chili, Frito pie, and macaroni and cheese topped with barbecue. Their meat cases also eventually will carry house-made charcuterie, deli meats, house-smoked salmon and a lineup of grass-fed beef and pork raised on organic feed. Also coming: a growler program for beer fans.
The Avilas have put much thought into their concept of a neighborhood general store. They liken their version to the neighborhood convenience stores and bodegas of the New York boroughs but with the nostalgic bearings of classic mercantiles from a bygone era.
There’s also a sentimental attachment they have to 715 Henderson. The Avilas had their first date at a coffee shop nearby, which has endeared them to the neighborhood. They also had their eye on the property six years ago with intentions of creating a general store but another project came along. Last year they drove past the space again only to see the owner outside and the property still vacant. As John Avila said: “We dusted off the old business plan and rolled up our sleeves.”
When Henderson & Kane is fully up and running it will be open daily. The store is operating on abbreviated hours until its July Fourth grand opening.
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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com
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