Viet Tran’s first impression of America after moving here in 1992 from Vietnam was that "Americans loved fast things." This impression was triggered by one of the first movies he had ever watched on live TV as a child, “Top Gun.”

The early realization eventually grew into a love and passion for fast cars and motorcycles, and as he grew up, that journey led him to the racing track and to the creation of his first business—Velocity Sim Racing Lounge.

Read all about it: Velocity opened in March 2025, sporting high-end simulators that feature a wide range of cars and race tracks. The business offers over 500 cars and over 400 tracks around the world, including popular venues like Daytona International Speedway and Circuit of the Americas.

The majority of simulators are a patented design by Viet Tran, making them highly adjustable. Guests can change the steering assembly, seat sliders and pedals to accommodate every size from a 5-year-old to an adult.

• 2110 Edwards St., Houston

Owner Vince Cao held the doors open to his first Houston location of Pour Decisions Craft during a grand opening celebration Aug. 10.

Check it out: Pour Decisions Craft is a Los Angeles-based concept that combines handcrafted matcha, lattes and beer into a single location.

The concept offers the brand's signature popular beverages such as the banana matcha, peanut butter latte and strawberry lychee lemonade, as well as its alcoholic offerings that include rotating craft beer and the opportunity to add a soju shot to any tea or lemonade option to create the "Capri Fun" pouch.

Pour Decisions Craft will also offer a handful of fresh-baked pastries and savory bites from local shops, including a breakfast burrito, banh mi sandwich, empanadas, Korean garlic bun and blueberry muffins.

More information: Cao runs four other locations across California. However, the Heights location is the first to open outside of The Golden State.

• 555 W. 19th St., Ste. 100A, Houston

Biopharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb has selected Generation Park for its new $2.3 billion manufacturing campus, officials announced in an Aug. 10 news release. The project is expected to bring nearly 500 jobs to the Houston area.

The big picture: The state-of-the-art 600,000-square-foot campus will enable BMS to manufacture multiple types of medicines, such as small molecules, biologics and antibody-drug conjugates. Per the release, the campus will be modular and multimodal to support long-term growth and allow the campus to evolve as needed.

The impact: Jobs created by the new campus will include operations technicians, production specialists, maintenance and engineering professionals, quality control and assurance experts, and site leadership and administration. Per the release, BMS also expects to create approximately 2,000 construction and other indirect jobs between 2027-30, while the facility is built.

Some context: Community Impact first reported BMS was considering Generation Park for a new manufacturing campus in May.

Texas A&M has partnered with gas station and convenience store Buc-ee’s to launch co-branded merchandise to be available on campus and at select Buc-ee’s locations.

The gist: The university was the first institution in the country to partner with Buc-ee’s in March, with some of the store’s products sold on campus. Buc-ee’s founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, who is also a graduate of the university, said the partnership is a way to celebrate both brands.

According to a news release from the university, the launch of the merchandise partnership will include a shirt featuring Buc-ee the beaver and Texas A&M iconography. According to the news release, the shirt will also be sold at the Barnes & Noble on the university’s campus.

What’s next: The co-branded material will be available at Buc-ee's locations in Central Texas and the greater Dallas and Houston areas. The university said future product releases are planned throughout the upcoming school year, which coincides with Texas A&M's 150th anniversary celebration.

Community Impact is seeking input from residents in the Greater Heights area who would like to share their thoughts on the Greater Heights Strategic Connections Plan, which the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority is currently developing. We’d like to hear about priority projects for residents, current mobility issues and general thoughts. If you are interested, please reach out to [email protected]. Must be willing to speak on record.