Rise & Grind Coffee Co. is set to open in mid-July at The Food Zone in Porter, owner Roxanna Paz confirmed via email July 13.

Meet the owner: Paz, who previously worked in cancer research prior to company downsizing, said she began Rise & Grind Coffee Co. as a home-based business a few years ago and eventually built a coffee cart to set up at local farmers markets. Now, Paz is opening her first permanent location at The Food Zone, a food park in Porter.

On the menu: Per the Rise & Grind Facebook page, beverages will range from $4.50-$6.50, with menu items including flavored iced lattes—such as the Cookie Butter Latte and the French Toast Chai—as well as lemonade and hot chocolate. Drinks can be customized with a variety of milk and flavor options, as well as add-ons.

Check it out: During the grand opening celebration from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. July 17, "coffee bean" cookies will be included with each purchase, while supplies last, Paz said.

• Grand opening July 17
• 23242 FM 1314, Porter

The Village Green—20-acre social hub located in the Marketplace District of Valley Ranch—is expected to break ground within the next two to three years, a spokesperson for the project’s developer The Signorelli Co., confirmed via email June 25.

The details: As previously reported by Community Impact, The Village Green will feature:

• 190,000 square feet of retail space

• 40,000 square feet of office space

• A mix of regional, national and smaller brands

• Walkable pathways

• Bike-friendly lanes

Remember this? The Village Green project was originally announced in February, as previously reported.

• Opening date TBD

• Southwest of the intersection of the Grand Parkway and Valley Ranch Parkway, Porter (exact address TBD)

The June Housing Market Update from the Houston Association of Realtors reports a rise in home sales and pending activity with steady overall pricing.

By the numbers: The number of single-family homes sold increased by 3.5%, with 8,820 homes sold in June compared to last June with 8,525 sold. The average home price rose 1.2% to $455,159, while the median home price slightly decreased by just 0.3%.

Total property sales across the Houston area rose by 2.6% with 10,181 properties sold, and the number of active property listings increased 2.2%, equaling 59,970.

Also of note: The luxury market remained strong with home sales over the price of $1 million rising 17.1% year over year.

However, the townhome and condominium market showed a 9.3% fall year over year with 439 in June compared to 484 last June, data shows.

In their own words: HAR Chair Theresa Hill said the Greater Houston area is seeing a “little more breathing room” on both sides of the transaction.

Produced by The Cleverley Stone Foundation, Houston Restaurant Weeks is a multiweek event from August through September that helps raise funds for the Houston Food Bank through specially priced, prix fixe menus at participating restaurants.

HRW is now entering its 23rd year, and menus for the 2026 event officially went live July 15.

How it works: Houston Restaurant Weeks will return Aug. 1 through Sept. 7, offering 38 days of prix fixe brunch, lunch and dinner menus. According to a July 15 news release, more than 350 restaurants are expected to participate across the Greater Houston area from the Inner Loop, downtown and the Galleria to Sugar Land, The Woodlands and Galveston.

Customers can expect to find special menus throughout the month that range from $25 to $55, depending on the menu. Brunch and lunch are $25, with dinner options priced at $39 or $55.

Why it matters: For every dollar donated, approximately three meals are generated by the Houston Food Bank. In 2025, the event garnered over $1.6 million, per prior reporting.

As heavy rain and flash flooding threatens large swaths of South and Central Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott spoke to reporters about the state's preparation for and response to the severe weather July 15.

The big picture: The heaviest rainfall is occurring in southwest Texas, according to the National Weather Service, with 10-15 inches of rain expected through July 16 along the U.S. 90 corridor west of San Antonio. As of 2:40 p.m. July 15, all or parts of 14 counties were under a flash flood warning, including Comal, Hays and Bexar counties.

The city of New Braunfels announced several road closures July 15, and the city closed recreational access to the Comal River due to continued rainfall and rising water levels, Community Impact reported.

The severe weather came just over a year after historic flooding killed more than 130 people in Central Texas on July 4-5, 2025.

More details: Dozens of other counties were under flood watches, advisories and warnings. Fifty-nine counties were also under a state disaster declaration as of July 14.