When partners Brian Doke and Evin Wood tour potential spaces for their next establishment, they typically have between 50%-90% of the concept already planned out in their heads.

Over the past 17 years, Doke said he and Wood have opened around 15 hospitality-focused businesses, including Savoir, Patton’s Steakhouse and the neighborhood bar Heights & Co. 

The approach: When planning the concept for Heights & Co., Doke said he wanted the bar to serve as a one-stop shop for residents, offering brunch, dinner and craft cocktails, along with holiday specials and entertainment.

A closer look: When it comes to Doke’s priorities, he said he tends to focus on the experience Heights & Co. offers, as he believes it’s not always enough for a restaurant just to serve good food anymore. 

• 1343 Yale St., Houston

Hypsi is located inside the new boutique establishment, Hotel Daphne. 

The overview: Run by Chef Terrence Gallivan, a two-time James Beard Award nominee in Houston, Hypsi is a new full-service restaurant and lounge in the Houston Heights. 

The restaurant offers Italian-style fare, with dishes such as crispy skin vermillion snapper, accompanied by a fresh herb salsa verde and a table-side mozzarella cart that serves multiple types of cheeses.

One more thing: Hypsi serves breakfast, dinner and cocktails daily, and the restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating surrounded by greenery, with a bar designed for aperitivo-style service, according to company representatives. 

• 347 W. 20th St., Houston

With a unanimous vote on Dec. 11, Harris County commissioners reauthorized 100% property tax exemptions for qualified child care providers for 2026 onward in a move that is expected to save thousands of dollars for providers, county officials said.

The full story: Commissioners first approved the 100% property tax exemption for qualified child care centers in March 2024, with the stipulation that the exemption would expire every two years unless commissioners voted for an extension. With the December vote, commissioners also approved removing the expiration clause, which allows the exemption to continue without requiring the two year reapproval from Commissioners Court.

Latest update: Eligible child care providers can apply for the exemption Jan. 1 through March 1.

Quote of note: “Today’s unanimous vote shows that every single one of us on commissioners court, regardless of political party, understands the importance of protecting access to high-quality, early childhood education and supporting the providers who make those opportunities possible,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a news release.

Texas has grown rapidly in recent years, and data indicates that development is not slowing down. The Lone Star State gained about 168,000 jobs from September 2024-September 2025, leading the nation in job growth, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The overview: Texas is attractive to businesses looking to relocate or expand their operations due to its tax incentives and grants, lack of a personal income tax and roughly 200 higher education institutions, business leaders said during a Dec. 10 summit held in College Station by industry network YTexas.

As businesses of all sizes continue to move to Texas, local governments and associations also need to “support the ones that are already here,” said Dean Browell, the chief behavioral officer for Feedback, a digital ethnographic research firm.

Zooming in: In an October study, Feedback found that long-term Texas residents want to live in growing communities with strong education systems and plentiful job opportunities. That growth, however, can lead to rising property taxes and living expenses before residents begin feeling the benefits, Browell said.