Several new businesses and eateries have recently opened in the Cypress area spanning from House & Hahl Road to Barker Cypress.

Half Baked Goodness now open on Mason Road
Cookie shop franchise Half Baked Goodness held a grand opening celebration for their new location in Cypress, per a social media announcement.

According to the menu, Half Baked Goodness serves their weekly specialty flavored cookies alongside their regular flavors including chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and more.

• Opened July 11

• 15202 Mason Road, Ste. 700, Cypress

Layne’s Chicken Fingers now open on Fry Road
Founded in College Station, Layne’s Chicken Fingers held a soft opening for the new location on July 17, and a grand opening on July 18, CEO Garret Reed told Community Impact.

Known for its crispy fried chicken meals, Reed said the franchise’s chicken fingers contains marinated tenderloin chicken and is hard breaded to offer a crispy crunchy exterior that reflects traditional fried chicken.

• Soft opened July 16, grand opening July 18

• 9850 Fry Road, Cypress

As part of a multiyear expansion, PNC Bank officials confirmed the construction of a new full-service bank in Cypress.

What we know: According to officials, the new bank location is part of a $500 million expansion effort to add 300 new locations across the U.S., including Houston. The new bank will offer the full range of PNC Bank's services including:

• Personal checking and savings

• Small business banking and loan

• Institutional asset management

• Corporate financing

In their words: "At PNC, we know the importance of building deep local connections. Our branches serve as vital community hubs where trusted relationships are built and financial aspirations made real," said Alex Overstrom, head of Retail Banking at PNC. "The build-out of these 300 new branches allows us to deliver our unique blend of hospitality and financial advice to more clients in more neighborhoods across the country. It's about making PNC the most convenient bank in each of these markets, ensuring we can meet people where they are and help them thrive."

Beginning Dec. 17, Frontier Airlines will offer daily nonstop service from Houston to Puerto Rico, airline officials announced via a July 14 news release. 

The big picture: The new route will run between George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan. With the latest addition, Frontier Airlines will serve 21 destinations from IAH.

In December 2025, the airline added new routes from IAH to three Latin American countries, as previously reported by Community Impact. 

Quote of note: "We are pleased to grow our service at IAHn ensuring low-cost travel options remain available for Texas consumers as they travel to Puerto Rico," said Josh Flyr, vice president of network and operations design for Frontier Airlines, in a statement. "With premium upgrades paired with our signature affordability, we are thrilled to show travelers why we are America's Low Fare Airline." 

According to officials with the National Weather Service, a tropical depression is working on gaining strength and organization in the Gulf, and Houston area officials are monitoring the storm for potential local impacts. 

What we know: Officials with the Houston-Galveston office of the NWS released advisories for Tropical Depression Two, a weather disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico that has the potential to turn into a tropical storm by July 21. Based on current models from the NWS, the storm could bring tropical storm-level winds and rain to the Greater Houston area over the weekend.

Stay tuned: Officials are urging residents to check all hurricane preparations regardless of additional storm development in the coming days. If the storm continues to gain strength, it will become Tropical Storm Bertha, per the NWS.