Bite Pizza Co. is celebrating its first anniversary of serving authentic Indian cuisine in Sugar Land with an expanded menu and catering services.

The eatery, which was founded in July 2025 by Chef Naresh Lakha and his family, is backed by his decades of experience in the Houston restaurant industry including owning Gourmet India and working as a chef at Houston’s Bombay Brasserie restaurants.

From the oven: The eatery’s menu was initially known for its South Asian-inspired pizzas including chicken tikka and paneer tikka options but has expanded to include handcrafted fusion pizzas, traditional pizzas, wings, naan and other authentic Indian dishes.

Notable quote: “The support we received during our first year showed us that customers want both familiar comfort food and the Indian flavors our family grew up with,” Lakha said. “We are grateful to the Sugar Land community, and we want Bite Pizza Co. to be a place where families can enjoy pizza and authentic Indian food together.”

• 13500 W. Airport Blvd. Ste. C, Sugar Land

La Placita, a family-run halal Bolivian cafe, opened its doors in Sugar Land over the summer, owner Susan Barrientos said.

On the menu: The cafe’s signature drink is the humita latte—made with corn milk, cinnamon syrup and salted cold foam—meant to mimic the Bolivian corn-based dessert, Barrientos said.

Other popular items include empanadas and salteñas, a type of baked Bolivian empanada. La Placita also offers marraquetas and cherimoya matcha, per its Instagram.

What’s in a name: Barrientos said she used to drive past the plaza as a kid with her mom on the way to clean houses. Years later, when she noticed a spot for sale, she called her mom and told her about the opening in la placita, or the little plaza.

The mother of six now runs the shop with her two daughters as baristas.

• 1055 Eldridge Road, Sugar Land

According to the latest report from the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), renters across the Greater Houston area are experiencing slight decreases in rent rates as the supply of units remains steady.

The breakdown: HAR officials stated in a Sept. 16 update that the continual availability of rental units has helped stabilize rent costs, with the rental market remaining well-balanced in August.

The report highlights the following key trends for August:

• The number of available rental units jumped nearly 5% year over year.

• The average cost of rent saw a small decrease.

• Townhome and condominium renters experienced the opposite trend, with average costs increasing by 2.4% year over year.

• The number of available townhome and condominium units on the market decreased as more renters filled those spaces.

To cast votes for a U.S. senator, governor, state attorney general and dozens of other races during the Nov. 3 midterm election, Texans must ensure they are registered to vote or have submitted an application by Oct. 5.

How it works: To be eligible to register to vote, an individual must:

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Reside in the county they apply to vote in

• Be at least 18 years old by Election Day

• Not have been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court

Getting registered: Eligible Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Oct. 5. The online form must be printed, signed and mailed to the applicant's local elections office.

One more thing: Voters who are already registered have through Oct. 5 to update their name or address, if needed.

Some voters may appear on the state "suspense" list if local officials cannot confirm their address, although they will still be able to vote in the election.

More information: Learn more about federal, state and local races at communityimpact.com/election.