Several new businesses opened this summer, renovated or announced they are planning to open this year in The Woodlands area. Here is a look at a few of them, including Sportika Woodlands Indoor Padel and Happyland Playground.

Waygood Coffee
Waygood Coffee held a grand opening the week of July 20 after its soft opening, according to information from the company.
The coffeehouse specializes in crafting espresso-based drinks with made-in-house customizations, and signature syrups include its housemade vanilla and caramel.

• Opened July 15

• 3713 College Park Drive, Conroe

Black Walnut
Black Walnut Cafe in The Woodlands reopened after renovations on July 31.
The restaurant sells breakfast, lunch and dinner with menu items such as its new sweet potato breakfast hash, Korean breakfast protein bowl and Texas-sized chicken fried steak.

• Reopened July 31

• 9000 New Trails Drive, The Woodlands

A new store offering supplies for needlepoint opened on Aug. 1 in The Woodlands area, owner Beth Griffith said.

What they offer: Studio 3113 Modern Needlework will sell items such as canvases, thread, supplies and other resources for stitchers. The shop will also host classes and community gatherings, she said.

• Opened Aug. 1
• 1776 Woodstead Court, Ste. 123, Spring

Center for Vein Restoration officials said the clinic held the grand opening for its latest location in Shenandoah on July 29.

The details: According to the website, Dr. H. Andrew Hansen is a board-certified thoracic surgeon with extensive experience in cardiovascular and venous medicine. His specialized training in vein disease allows him to deliver treatment for chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins and other venous disorders, according to a news release.

Also of note: Per the website, between 30 million-40 million people in the United States are affected by venous disease.
Symptoms of vein disease include:

• Varicose veins
• Spider veins
• Leg pain

Ahead of the 2026 school year, the Texas Comptroller’s Office encourages all taxpayers to support Texas businesses while saving money on tax-free purchases on most clothing and school supplies during the annual tax-free weekend from Aug. 7-9. 

What you need to know: A variety of school supplies and clothing items can be purchased from a Texas store or an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas. In most cases, exemption certificates are not required to buy qualifying items tax free, according to the Texas Comptroller’s Office. 

Qualifying items include:

• Clothing
• Footwear 
• School supplies
• Face masks
• Backpacks

At least 85,000 students will use Texas' new education savings accounts during the 2026-27 school year, an Aug. 3 report shows. Enrollment may grow as the school year kicks off and more families opt in to the program.

The overview: The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program gives families state funds to send their children to private schools or homeschool them, with priority going to students with disabilities and children from low-income households.

About 24% of students participating in the TEFA program have a disability, according to state data, and 80% of participants are from low-income families.

Zooming in: The largest numbers of students participating in the program live in Texas’ largest school districts, data shows. The report lists that 3,327 participants live in Houston ISD’s boundaries, followed by 2,645 participants from Dallas ISD, 2,271 participants from Northside ISD and 2,024 participants from Fort Bend ISD.

Previous state data showed that about 43% of students selected for the program had previously attended a Texas public school, although the Aug. 3 report did not include that information.