A number of business owners have recently opened their doors to the Tomball and Magnolia communities. Here are five business updates you may have missed.

Ace Elite Cheer and Tumbling relocates: Ace Elite Cheer & Tumbling officials confirmed the gym's relocation to a new facility in Magnolia to provide more space for their various classes.

BarkSuds now open in Tomball: Roberto Martinez, who owns and operates the franchise location, said his reason for opening BarkSuds was the lack of groomers in the area. 

Arms manufacturer Watchtower Defense opens facility in Tomball: Watchtower Defense is a local manufacturing company that specializes in firearms and related products. Watchtower Defense CEO Jordan Davis said that its products serve a wide range of markets, including consumer, law enforcement and military sectors.

This list is not comprehensive.

According to a Sept. 24 filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, a new cigar shop is coming to the Magnolia area.

The details: Per the filing, Pine and Leaf Cigars will open a 4,770-square-foot cigar lounge in Magnolia. Construction on the $500,000 lounge is expected to begin by December and be complete by the end of 2027.

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen is celebrating 40 years in business across the Greater Houston area during the month of October, business officials confirmed.

The details: The first Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen opened its doors in 1986 on Westheimer Road in the Galleria area, per the restaurant website.

During the month of October, restaurant officials announced in a Sept. 29 news release that several new and returning menu items will be available for a limited time, including:

• Crispy Shrimp Spring Rolls: shrimp, ginger cilantro cream cheese and sweet & sour sauce

• Praline Cheesecake: creamy cheesecake layered with pecan praline crumble, topped with warm praline sauce

In their words: "For 40 years, Pappadeaux has been a place where families celebrate and friends gather to let the good times roll," Pappas Restaurants Chief Marketing Officer Christina Pappas said. "This anniversary is a celebration of our guests and the generations of team members who have made Pappadeaux the destination it is today.”

In 2015, the Texas Legislature passed a law changing the amount of time students are required to spend in public schools from 180 days to 75,600 minutes per school year.

More than a decade later, some state senators are considering again mandating the number of days schools are open, citing concerns about student performance in districts that use condensed weekly schedules.

The details: At least 181 districts and 572 campuses used four-day school weeks in the 2024-25 school year, per Texas Education Agency data.

A TEA study found that during the 2022-23 school year, students attending school four days per week had lower performance in certain subjects on the annual State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness than students at five-day schools.

"There is not a benefit that I see for a four-day school week for the child," Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, said. "We know there's learning loss. What is the advantage of a four-day [week]? Because I see none except to please somebody who wants to be off more days."