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Growing up, Christian Guzman’s mother, Manuela Guzman, ran her own business in Missouri City called Homemade Gourmet. Christian Guzman said she would cook sandwiches and cakes in her kitchen every morning and then deliver them to local businesses, such as hair salons. 

Manuela Guzman had been supportive of her son’s growing career in the fitness industry and would drive around with him as he searched for potential gym locations. When Christian Guzman began designing Alphaland, he said he knew that he wanted to bring his mom into the business. 

On the menu: AlphaEats offers a diverse range of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including breakfast sandwiches, Tex-Mex dishes, various pastas and burgers.

A closer look: As they created the concept of the cafe, Christian Guzman said he wanted the space to match the look of Alphaland. 

• 1502 Industrial Drive, Missouri City

Fort Bend ISD trustees are considering a slightly altered calendar for the 2026-27 school year following community feedback.

Zooming in: A presentation by district staff showed community members preferred the proposed calendar to two other options—receiving votes of “favor” or “strongly in favor” from 69% of 8,063 respondents.

District staff said community members—including students, parents and staff—liked the spread of holiday days, fall break and winter break length in the 2025-26 academic calendar, but wanted an earlier start and end date to the school year.

What’s next: Trustees are expected to vote on the item at their Jan. 21 meeting, though an official agenda has not yet been posted.

Houston will host the National Cheerleaders Association's All-Star National Championship in late February, drawing an estimated 65,000 competitors and spectators to the city’s downtown.

At a glance: This marks the first year the event has been held in Houston, according to a Jan. 6 news release from Houston First Corporation, operator of the George R. Brown Convention Center and other venues across the city.

The competition will be held Feb. 27-March 1 inside the GRB, with other activities extending to Discovery Green and the Toyota Center. Houston will host the championship for the next three years, as the NCA contracted with Houston First through 2028, per the release.

Two-minute impact: The championship event is expected to generate $150 million in spending in Houston over the course of the three-year commitment, according to the announcement. Houston First President and CEO Michael Heckman said in the release that the event will also bring business to more than 150 hotels in the Houston area.

Some Texas film industry leaders say the state is on its way to becoming the third “media coast,” joining Los Angeles and New York as film production hubs. A recent increase in state funding is helping buoy that growth, said Chase Musslewhite, co-founder of Media for Texas, an Austin-based nonprofit that advocates for the advancement of the state’s film industry.

The details: Through 2035, $1.5 billion in state incentives will be available for movies, television shows, documentaries and related projects created in Texas.

To be eligible for the program funding under Senate Bill 22, at least 35% of a production’s cast and crew must live in Texas and at least 60% of the work must be done in-state, according to the Texas Film Commission. Grant reimbursements start at 5% and go up to 31%, depending on how much a production spends and other aspects of the project.

The local impact: After SB 22 became law Sept. 1, some local governments across Texas—including Austin, San Antonio and Houston—expanded or launched their own film incentive programs.