HTX-TOM: Impact 8/29/2025

Blending food and creativity, husband and wife duo Quay Ly and Emma Zheng opened Mochi Mochi Chillin in June 2024 to offer the area a unique concept featuring a variety of Asian snacks.

What's special about it: Ly said his wife Zheng is the mastermind behind the business concept, who chose to combine several Korean snacks into one business, including mochi donuts, boba drinks, Korean corn dogs and ice cream.

On the menu: Mochi Mochi Chillin is known for its in-house mochi donuts, a rice-based delicacy, crispy on the outside and creamy inside, as well as its Korean corn dog, the eatery's best seller by far, Ly said. The eatery also offers Taiwanese popcorn chicken, made with halal chicken lightly breaded and seasoned with a special blend of spices. The business recipes were crafted by the pair through trial and error, blending a variety of cultural snacks including Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese snacks.
 

JB Sweet Temptations Coffee, Bakery and Cake Design will open its doors in Magnolia along Roy Street, owner and cake designer Beatriz Vega confirmed.

The details: The bakery specializes in custom cake design for weddings, quinceaneras and other special occasions. Alongside cakes, Vega said the bakery also offers desserts, cookies and pastries.

Quote of note: “As a proud Puerto Rican, I’m excited to bring a touch of my culture and creativity to Magnolia. Our goal is to make each celebration—and each visit—truly memorable,” Vega said. 

• 126 Roy St., Magnolia

Montgomery County commissioners approved an interlocal agreement Aug. 26 with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to provide professional health care services to adults in custody at the Montgomery County Jail.

In a nutshell: The five-year contract will take effect Nov. 1 and is valued at $8.1 million in the first year, increasing annually to $9.5 million in the fifth year, according to agenda documents. First Assistant County Attorney Amy Davidson said the agreement is nonexclusive and was heavily negotiated.

Montgomery County Sheriff  Wesley Doolittle said the agreement will expand services at the jail, including the addition of a full-time psychiatrist, which the facility currently lacks. He said the program is expected to save the county about $300,000 in the first year while improving safety and professionalism.

Doolittle said that working with a state university instead of a for-profit provider will improve stability and help pursue grants and cost-saving projects to support jail operations.  

Harris County commissioners and department leaders are considering implementing a yearlong hiring freeze to save at least $25 million in costs to address a projected $200 million-plus shortfall in fiscal year 2025-26. Budget Director Daniel Ramos presented the personnel freeze proposal during the Aug. 26 commissioners court meeting, which stretched until 10 p.m. as nearly 200 residents signed up to address agenda items.

Explained: Ramos said three of the county’s bigger departments—the engineering office, information technology services and public health—would be the most affected. The freeze would exclude positions in several departments identified as critical by county officials, including law enforcement, elections, the county clerk and park maintenance offices.

Quote of note: “It's definitely inconvenient for the departments,” Ramos said, "but the crossroads that we're at ... is, do we want to go back and identify $25 million worth of departmental cuts at this point or do we want to do something more blanket, like a hiring freeze?"

Starting in late November, Houston travelers flying on Frontier Airlines will have new routes from George Bush Intercontinental Airport. 

The framework: Josh Flyr, vice president of network and operations design, said in an Aug. 26 news release that the company is thrilled to add new routes from Houston as part of its aim to expand low-fare carrier options in the top 20 metros in the country. 

“With new nonstop routes to exciting domestic and international destinations, now is a better time than ever for Houston-area travelers to fly with Frontier and enjoy the convenience, comfort and signature affordability we offer,” Flyr said. 

What you need to know: The Denver-based airline company announced the following new IAH domestic and international routes launching in late 2025 through early 2026:

• Baltimore: Nov. 20
• Philadelphia: Nov. 21
• Detroit: Nov. 21
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Nov. 22
• Guatemala City: Dec. 18
• San Salvador, El Salvador: Dec. 19
• San Pedro Sula, Honduras: Dec. 20
• New Orleans: Feb. 13, 2026

An interagency crackdown on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs in the Houston area began Aug. 28 for the extended Labor Day weekend, Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen announced.

The gist: Constable Precinct 1 deputies and officers from other law enforcement agencies will be out across Harris County to find and arrest drivers under the influence, according to a news release.

Notable quote: “The number of people killed or injured by drunk or drugged drivers remains at a scandalously high level in Harris and surrounding counties,” Rosen said. “On this last of this year’s extended summer weekends, due to Labor Day observances, I urge everyone to refrain from this deadly kind of driving, for their own sake and the public’s.”