Looking to create a new buzz for its retail holding, RPI Management Co. LLC has selected 7 Leaves Café to backfill a freestanding building in Piney Point Shopping Center, an 80,273-sf project fronting one of Houston's most heavily traveled commercial corridors.

"It's rare to find a stand-alone building with a drive-through along Westheimer Road," says Josh Friedlander, vice president of Houston-based NewQuest Properties. "We had at least a dozen pitches from restaurateurs wanting this site."

Piney Point's new tenant will open in the spring in the former Golden Chick at 8910 Westheimer Rd., Houston. The 1,973-sf structure will undergo a complete renovation, inside and out, in the coming months.

Piney Point is a 40-something community shopping center at the corner of Westheimer and Fondren roads, close to the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8) and three miles west of the Houston Galleria. Nearly 100,000 vehicles per day pass the property, which is located at the gateway to the Memorial neighborhood, a mix of single-family subdivisions bonded by a strong sense of community and boasting some of the highest average household incomes in the city.

"7 Leaves is going to be a great co-tenant for Piney Point. It will bring a lot of buzz and excitement to the center," says Friedlander, who along with Bob Conwell, a NewQuest senior vice president, leases the shopping center for the local landlord.

With 7 Leaves on board, Piney Point is 95% leased. The anchor tenant is a 36,500-sf Stein Mart, a nationally recognized chain with a dedicated following of shoppers drawn to its inventory of discounted name brands. There is 1,875 sf available in two retail spaces, which can be combined into one storefront.

The NewQuest team of Grace La, associate, and John Nguyen, vice president, represented 7 Leaves Café, a California-based chain with 21 locations in its home state, two each in Las Vegas and Dallas/Fort Worth and one open in Houston, with more on the way. The menu features hand-pressed hot and cold teas, coffees and freshly baked, handmade macarons.

"Teahouses are a popular and trendy business right now. When a 7 Leaves Café opens in California, people are lined up around the block," Friedlander says. "It has a cult-like following on the West Coast and is looking to do the same in Texas."

SOUTH TEXAS LEASE

Cheddar's Casual Café Inc. has acquired a 2.34-acre retail pad in Conroe Marketplace, 2908 Interstate 45 N, Conroe, from CCAC Conroe Holdings LP. Brad LyBrand and Neal Thomson of NewQuest Properties represented the seller. Kyle Anz of HGA Holdings LLC represented the buyer.

SOUTH TEXAS LEASES

DaVita has leased 2,622 sf of retail space in Brazos Town Center, located at the intersection of Interstate 69/US 59 and FM 762/Reading Road, Rosenberg, from NewQuest Properties. Bob Conwell and Austen Baldridge of NewQuest Properties represented the landlord. Louis Carpenter of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant.

7 Leaves Café has leased 1,973 sf of retail space at 8910 Westheimer Rd., Houston, from RPI Management Co. LLC. Josh Friedlander and Bob Conwell of NewQuest Properties represented the landlord. Grace La and John Nguyen of NewQuest Properties represented the tenant.

CENTRAL TEXAS LEASE

European Wax Center has leased 2,277 sf of retail space in Creekside Town Center, located at the intersection of Interstate 35 and FM 306, New Braunfels, from NewQuest Properties. Ashley Strickland and Nick Ramsey of NewQuest Properties represented the landlord. Stephen Schneider of DuWest Realty represented the tenant.

LOUISIANA LEASE

Great Clips has leased 1,068 sf of retail space in Camp Forbing Town Center, located at the intersection of Flournoy Lucas and Ellerbe roads, Shreveport, LA, from NewQuest Properties. Ashley Strickland and Bob Conwell of NewQuest Properties represented the landlord. Stacy Odom of Stirling Properties represented the tenant.

NewQuest Properties, founded in 2001, is a privately owned, full-service commercial real estate firm specializing in development, land brokerage, leasing, tenant representation, investment sales and property management services. Headquartered in Houston, NewQuest owns a portfolio encompassing more than 60 retail and mixed-use projects valued at $2.2 billion and provides leasing services for more than 12 million square feet of commercial space in Texas, Louisiana and throughout the U.S.