iWok, an Asian fast-casual restaurant, is opening four locations across the Houston metro this year, with one on NASA Parkway, as previously reported by Community Impact. 

How it works: iWok uses a robotic chef system to serve fresh entrees, rice dishes and wok-seared bowls in minutes. 

A closer look: Although the brand incorporates robotic technology, human employees prep the fresh ingredients and plate dishes before serving customers. Once staff members wash and portion ingredients into separate containers to refrigerate them, the automated system retrieves and delivers the items to a preheated wok.

What’s on the menu: Made with fresh vegetables, proteins and house-made sauces, iWok’s menu features dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken, Mapo Tofu, Mongolian Beef and Umami Wok Shrimp.

📍1400 E. NASA Parkway, Ste. F, Houston

San Jacinto College partnered with MRC Global, a Houston-based supply-chain distributor, to provide industry-grade equipment to support training in multiple disciplines, including the process information program, according to a March 23 news release from the college.

The details: The company donated pipes, valves and fittings, or PVFs, to support the construction of a pipe run at the college’s center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology, or CPHET, according to the news release. The pipe run, which will be used across multiple disciplines, incorporates continuous segments of PVFs to transfer fluids, gases and small solids for plumbing, heating and other industrial systems.

Despite counties nationwide seeing a slowing growth rate, the Greater Houston area is experiencing the opposite, per recent data from the US Census Bureau.

The gist: The data examines population changes within the timeframe of July 2024 to July 2025. According to the Census Bureau, the most populous counties saw more births than deaths and more people moving out than moving in from other areas of the country.

However, the Greater Houston area is still experiencing population growth, particularly in suburban areas.

Digging deeper: From 2024 to 2025, the counties saw the following population increase:

• Harris County: 48,695
• Montgomery County: 30,011
• Fort Bend County: 24,163

Three medical cannabis businesses have been conditionally approved to participate in the Texas Compassionate Use Program, state officials announced April 1.

The big picture: The companies received conditional licenses from the Texas Department of Public Safety in an effort to expand access to medical cannabis products. Under the compassionate use program, physicians can prescribe medical-grade, low-THC products to eligible patients in partnership with licensed dispensaries.

Zooming in: Two of the three businesses given conditional licenses April 1 are affiliated with existing medical cannabis dispensaries that work in several other states. The new licensees are:

• GTI Texas, LLC (doing business as RISE Dispensaries) in West Texas
• Cresco Labs Texas, LLC in East Texas
• Texas Medica Collective, LLC in Northeast Texas