Visitors pack South Lake Tahoe over Memorial Day weekend

CNN Newsource on May 26, 2026

By Maricela De La Cruz

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    SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, California (KCRA) — South Lake Tahoe saw a large number of visitors over Memorial Day weekend, with families enjoying the warm weather and local businesses experiencing unexpected holiday crowds.

The summer kickoff brought families outdoors, with children jumping into the lake and visitors soaking up the sun.

“We just did a spontaneous trip. You know, we just said let’s get our things and let’s head out,” Liliana Resendiz, a first-time visitor from Lodi, said. “For here, we got basic things like sandwiches for the kids, fruits, chips.”

Local businesses reported a surge in activity.

“It’s kind of a shock. It’s almost – the Saturday and Sunday kind of approach towards the Fourth of July weekend,” David Miligante of Tahoe Bike Company said. “For businesses out here, it’s great. It was surprising. I wasn’t expecting it to be as busy as it has been.”

Lisa Coretz, who traveled from Minden, Nevada, shared her experience.

“We closed the office and I’m up here having a great time enjoying Lake Tahoe,” she said.

She described Regan Beach as a hidden gem.

“It’s not crowded at all. Regan Beach, well I shouldn’t even say – it’s a little gem in Lake Tahoe, so I love coming here,” Coretz said.

Kayak businesses also saw high demand during the holiday weekend.

“We had kayaks going out all day, from when we opened – we were basically sold out of kayaks from open til when we closed,” Matt Brunton of South Tahoe Kayak said.

He noted the impact of the warm weather, saying, “May’s starting to warm up.”

I think people are excited to get outside, excited to get out, excited to get paddling,” Brunton said.

With visitor numbers rivaling a typical Fourth of July weekend, businesses in South Lake Tahoe are hopeful the momentum will continue throughout the summer.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Mermaid for hire: Blue Zoo closure leaves mermaid out of work

CNN Newsource on May 26, 2026

By Pepper Purpura

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    WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Monday will mark the final day for Blue Zoo Aquarium at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines. It’s also the final performance for its resident mermaids in the facility’s tanks.

The aquarium is closing after being evicted from its space near Jordan Creek Mall. For Angie Cunningham, the closure means losing far more than a part-time job.

Inside Blue Zoo’s 48,000-gallon saltwater tank, Cunningham transforms into “Sirena,” a professional mermaid performer complete with handmade tails and jeweled crowns to dazzle the aquarium’s young visitors.

“It just becomes all part of you,” Cunningham said.

But beneath the sparkles are years of specialized training. Cunningham earned a PADI scuba mermaid instructor certification, completing coursework in breath control, underwater rescue, emergency response and endurance swimming while performing in her monofin tail.

She’s practiced free diving in the ocean, learned how to safely rescue unconscious swimmers while wearing a tail and completed long-distance swim tests designed to prepare professional mermaids for live performances and teaching others how to safely tail swim in the layers of costuming.

“Altogether, you’re probably looking at maybe 20 pounds,” she said about the costume’s weight.

She said few people in Iowa have completed the advanced training.

Her equipment is also a significant investment. Cunningham owns multiple handcrafted tails costing thousands of dollars, along with custom tops, crowns and specialized monofins, a specialized piece of scuba gear resembling two. All belong to her, not Blue Zoo Aquarium.

Cunningham said she originally joined Blue Zoo not as a performer, but as an educator.

She previously volunteered at Blank Park Zoo and said animals had always been a major part of her life. After the death of her only son several years ago, she said performing as a mermaid helped her heal emotionally and start prioritizing her health.

Over time, Cunningham said the role became deeply personal.

“There’s times where I’m swimming where I feel like he’s got his hand on my shoulder,” she said of her son. “The water is always the place now where I find him.”

For Cunningham, one of the hardest parts of the closure is losing access to the tank itself.

“There’s nowhere else in Des Moines I’m going to find a big tank where there’s a window in it, and I can come down and interact and really live that mermaid life,” she said.

She said most public pools will not allow mermaid tails because of liability concerns, despite her certifications, rescue training and liability insurance.

Private gigs, such as birthday parties and backyard pool appearances, exist, but are inconsistent.

“I know that I’m probably going to be really limited,” Cunningham said.

Still, she hopes this is not the end of Sirena.

“In some ways, I feel like Santa Claus,” she said. “They come and hug on me, and they want to tell me mermaid secrets.”

Sunday will also be Cunningham’s final performance at Blue Zoo. The aquarium said admission for its final day will be free while capacity allows.

Blue Zoo Aquarium opened at Jordan Creek Town Center in 2024 as an interactive family attraction featuring sharks, stingrays, reptiles and birds alongside mermaid shows and educational exhibits.

But the facility also faced controversy during its time in Des Moines.

The state previously investigated animal welfare concerns, including the death of a parakeet and an incident in which a guest was bitten by a bamboo shark.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the primary accreditation organization for zoos and aquariums in the United States, does not list Blue Zoo in West Des Moines as an accredited aquarium.

Blue Zoo said a substantial rent increase made it impossible to continue operating the Des Moines facility. Court documents show it is being evicted for failing to pay rent.

“Caring for animals at the level they deserve is both a huge responsibility and a significant investment,” the company wrote in the deleted statement on Facebook.

The aquarium later announced Memorial Day would be its final day operating and that admission would be free while capacity allows.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Houston’s Pride In Business Celebration Names Francisco Sánchez, Jr. Co-Chair for Historic 10th Annual “Decade of Impact” Milestone

CNN Newsource on May 26, 2026

By Francis Page Jr.

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    May 26, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Houston’s business community is preparing for a milestone moment wrapped in purpose, progress, and unmistakable Pride. The Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce has announced Francisco Sánchez, Jr. as another Co-Chair of the 2026 Pride In Business – A Decade of Impact Celebration Luncheon + After Party, a signature event set for Friday, June 12, 2026, from 11:00 AM–1:30 PM CT, followed by the After Party beginning at 1:30 PM CT, at the Hilton Americas-Houston Grand Ballroom. The 10th annual celebration is expected to welcome 1,000 attendees, expanding the Chamber’s hallmark luncheon into a larger milestone experience that includes the Pride In Business Expo, awards recognition, networking, and an afternoon celebration of LGBTQ+ and Allied business leadership.

For Houston, this is not just another luncheon on the calendar. This is a decade-deep declaration that inclusion is good business, visibility is economic power, and opportunity grows stronger when every entrepreneur, executive, professional, and community leader has a seat at the table. The Chamber describes the 2026 celebration as a tribute to ten years of building a thriving LGBTQ+ economic ecosystem across Greater Houston—strengthening visibility, expanding opportunity, and championing inclusion for LGBTQ+ and Allied communities.

That makes the appointment of Francisco Sánchez, Jr. especially fitting. Sánchez brings a rare blend of public service, disaster recovery leadership, small business advocacy, and Houston-rooted civic commitment. Appointed by President Joseph R. Biden in January 2022, Sánchez served as Associate Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, overseeing the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience; multiple public bios note that he was the first non-banker and presidential appointee to hold that leadership role.

His work has not been theoretical. In moments when storms, floods, and disasters tested communities, Sánchez helped lead economic recovery efforts designed to support small businesses, families, and local economies. In May 2024, the SBA announced a Portable Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Houston for those affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding, with Sánchez quoted in connection with the outreach effort.

Now, as Co-Chair of the 2026 Pride In Business Celebration, Sánchez’s leadership connects national small business experience with Houston’s hometown spirit of resilience.

“I am proud to serve as a Co-Chair of the 2026 Pride in Business Celebration because this work is deeply personal to me,” Sánchez said. “Houston’s greatest strength is its people—our diversity, our resilience, and our willingness to create opportunity for one another.”

That message lands with power in a city that understands both celebration and struggle. Houston is an international business hub, a cultural capital, an energy powerhouse, and one of America’s most diverse metropolitan regions. But the real magic of Houston has always been its people—neighbors who build, rebuild, innovate, organize, and show up for one another. Pride In Business captures that Houston DNA and places it under the bright lights where it belongs.

Sánchez emphasized that his service at the SBA reinforced a central truth: when barriers are removed and people are empowered, economies grow. “Pride in Business is about more than a luncheon,” he said. “It is about bringing people together, focusing on business, and creating the kind of economic opportunity that ensures Houston’s economy is strong and resilient.”

That is the heart of this 10th annual celebration. The Pride In Business Awards will honor LGBTQ+ and Allied businesses, leaders, and organizations driving economic inclusion, visibility, and opportunity across the region. New for 2026, the Expo expands visibility for Chamber members, while the After Party extends the milestone moment into a high-energy afternoon of connection and celebration.

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In true Houston fashion, this celebration is bigger than a ballroom. It is a bridge—between legacy and future, entrepreneurship and equity, boardrooms and community rooms, Pride Month and year-round economic empowerment.

For Houston Style Magazine readers, the announcement of Francisco Sánchez, Jr. as Co-Chair is a reminder that history is not only made by speeches and headlines. It is made by leaders who roll up their sleeves, open doors, widen pathways, and help communities prosper.

And on Friday, June 12, 2026, at the Hilton Americas-Houston, the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce will not simply celebrate ten years of impact. It will launch the next ten—with style, strategy, and a room full of people ready to keep Houston stronger, bolder, and unstoppable together.

For more information, visit houstonlgbtchamber.com.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
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Southmoor Drive repaving set to finish by early August after erosion fix

KRDO on May 26, 2026

Scott Harrison

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — Now that the threat of erosion from Fountain Creek has decreased, officials are moving ahead with repaving a half-mile of Southmoor Drive on the north side of town.

A visible sign of the upcoming work is the recent removal of concrete barriers, although several road closure signs remain in place between The American Legion post and Paladin Place.

Crews were expected to start milling — removing the existing pavement — on Tuesday, but late that morning, a city spokesman said that the project is delayed until next Monday because of recent weather-related issues on another paving project in the Castle Rock area.

AS KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior reported in February, officials said that they will save money by allowing the contractor to recycle the old asphalt on-site, eliminating the need for fresh asphalt.

The Fountain Creek Watershed District spent more than $7 million on an erosion mitigation project that slows the velocity of water in the creek and reduces erosion of the steep banks under Southmoor that threatened to destroy it, along with nearby private property.

The $450,000 repaving project approved by the City Council includes installing a guardrail along the creek side of the street; the city hopes to finish work by the first week of August.

Closing the neighborhood street had a significant impact on drivers who considered it the quickest and safest route to reach Walmart and other businesses along Highway 85/87.

The closure led the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to redesign the intersection of the Highway at Carson Boulevard to provide safer access on and off the highway.

With the $320,000 the city will save by using recycled asphalt, officials will repave two other streets and perform chip-seal treatments on three more.

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Sen. Bernie Sanders rallies for Graham Platner and Troy Jackson ahead of June election

CNN Newsource on May 26, 2026

By Bonnie Bishop

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    PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders spent his Memorial Day weekend campaigning for two democratic candidates in Maine’s upcoming election for U.S. Senate and governor, including an event in Portland Monday night.

The Independent senator is pushing for Oyster farmer Graham Platner to be Maine’s next senator and Former Senate President Troy Jackson to be Maine’s next governor. Sanders reinforced his focus on supporting the working class and taxing billionaires.

“What Graham understands, and Troy understands, we are not going to let a handful of billionaires control the future of this country,” Sanders said.

The event is a part of Sanders’ Fighting Oligarchy Tour, where the senator travels the country to talk about taking on what he calls “the Oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power and influence in this country.”

“We’re going to take on the drug companies, and we’re going to do, with Graham in the Senate, what every other major country on earth does, guarantee health care for people through a Medicare for all single payer program,” Sanders said.

Platner is up against Democrat David Costello this June. If he secures the nomination, he’ll face Sen. Susan Collins in the fall.

“We will win the primary, and we will win the general, and we will show this whole country the way forward,” Platner said.

At the Monday night event, Platner called for a political revolution

“This is the fight of our lives,” Platner said.

Jackson, pointing to his past experiences in the state legislature, said he will continue to fight for Maine residents.

“I’ve watched power, influence hold back the people, the communities that I’ve cared about my entire life,” Jackson said.

Jackson faces four other candidates looking to secure the Democratic nomination for governor.

“We’re going to have a government that works for us and not just for them,” Jackson said. “Because the billionaires are going to be fine, they’ve always been fine, and they always will be fine. That’s not who I’m worried about. I’m fighting for us because you’re my only special interest.”

Hundreds gathered at Thompson’s Point in Portland to see the two candidates and the Vermont senator.

“I think he’s one of the most level-headed people in Congress, and I think it holds a lot of weight,” Saco resident Jamie Merrill said.

Monday marks the second day of rallying. Sanders was up in Orono on Sunday, too.

Jackson and Platner secured endorsements from Sanders late last summer.

Election day is on June 9.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

1,400-pound white sharks tracked to Georgia, South Carolina waters

CNN Newsource on May 26, 2026

By Graham Cawthon

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    HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina (WJCL) — Three tagged great white sharks were tracked off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina over Memorial Day weekend, according to OCEARCH.

The nonprofit’s tracking data showed Goodall, a 1,400-pound adult white shark measuring 13 feet, 1 inch, pinged Monday morning near Darien, Georgia. Brookes, a 450-pound juvenile measuring 8 feet, 10 inches, also pinged Monday morning near Brunswick, Georgia.

Farther north, Breton, a 1,400-pound adult measuring 13 feet, 3 inches, was tracked Monday evening off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.

Fast Facts

According to NOAA Fisheries, white sharks can weigh up to 4,500 pounds and measure up to 21 feet in length Their lifespan can be 70 years or more. It is illegal to catch a white shark.

What do white sharks eat?

White sharks primarily feast on fish, invertebrates and marine mammals. Juvenile white sharks eat bottom fish, smaller sharks and rays, and schooling fish and squids. Larger white sharks often feed on seal and sea lions to feed and occasionally scavenge dead whales.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Florida sophomore pushes to grow bone marrow donor pool through drives at Leon County Schools +

CNN Newsource on May 26, 2026

By Brieanna Smith

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    NORTHEAST TALLAHASSEE, Florida (WTXL) — A rising sophomore at Maclay School has swabbed more than 130 people for the bone marrow registry since February.

Now, she wants to bring the effort to public and charter schools across Leon County.

Abby Stephens launched the project, Athletes for Life, for her Gold Award Girl Scout project, inspired by Ancil Carruthers, a close family friend and Florida A&M University professor battling a rare cancer.

The cure requires a perfect stem cell match, but according to the Gift of Life, 71% of Black patients are unable to find one.

Stephens said the lack of young and diverse donors in the registry drove her to act.

“The problem with that project that I’m trying to address is that there aren’t a lot of young and diverse donors in the bone marrow registry, which is why a lot of patients can’t find life-saving matches,” she said.

“When I was creating this project, one thing I realized is that high schools specifically have a lot of young, healthy people that could potentially become donors in one area.”

The bone marrow registry seeks donors between 18 and 35 years old.

Friday, she recently completed a “Senior Swab” at Maclay School.

She was able to swab 26 seniors.

As soon as they turn 18, they will be added to the registry.

Since starting in February, five people have been able to find matches through her efforts.

“It really means a lot to me to have all of these people so supportive towards my project, because the patients, they’re real people,” Stephens said.

With an expansion to public and charter schools, Stephens says, will help her reach her goal of registering 2,000 people.

The effort has already drawn support from Leon County School Board member Laurie Cox, who knows both the Stephens and Carruthers families.

“All of us have friends or family that are dealing with cancer, and if this is an initiative that can help save someone’s life, I think it’s great to let people know of the need, but also to hopefully be part of a solution as well,” Cox said.

She says high school principals would need to support the drives and ensure they follow school policy.

“Hopefully there won’t be too much pushback, but hopefully we can open that door to allow this initiative to be brought to our schools,” Cox said.

Stephens is also working to make the program last beyond her own time at school.

“I’m also trying to create a framework so that senior swabs can stay at my school, public schools, charter schools, and other private schools after I graduate,” Stephens said.

Stephens will present the expansion idea to the Leon County School Board on Tuesday.

She’s also hosting a swab at the Battle Lions soccer game on Saturday, June 6th.

Information about upcoming swabs will be posted on the Athletes for Life 850 Instagram page.

***This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTXL’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.***

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Culture Is Capital: BOMESI Summit 2026 Brings Media Ownership, Opportunity, and Economic Power to Detroit

CNN Newsource on May 26, 2026

By Francis Page Jr.

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    May 26, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — In an era when media ownership is no longer just about who tells the story—but who profits from the platform—BOMESI is once again stepping boldly into the spotlight.

The Black Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute, better known as BOMESI, has announced the official hosts and confirmed sponsors for its 2026 BOMESI Summit, a three-day gathering of media, entertainment, brand, advertising, and ownership leaders scheduled for Wednesday, June 3 through Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan. The summit will be hosted by NAACP Image Award–winning entertainer Dustin Ross and Amber Lee Forrester, founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of Quartz Wellness Collective.

For Houston Style Magazine readers, the message is clear: the future of media is not waiting politely in the lobby. It is walking through the front door, microphone in hand, business plan in pocket, and community impact on the agenda.

This year’s theme, “Mobilizing Culture: The $5.3 Trillion Opportunity for Media & Brands,” places real economic weight behind a conversation many diverse publishers have been having for decades. According to BOMESI’s summit site, multicultural consumers represent a $5.3 trillion market opportunity, while less than 2% of advertising spend currently reaches diverse-owned media. That gap is not just a missed business opportunity—it is a cultural correction waiting to happen.

Ross, known as a host, writer, comedian, and producer, brings both charisma and credibility to the summit stage. Forrester, a Detroit native, adds an empowerment-centered lens rooted in wellness, entrepreneurship, and the business of storytelling. Together, the two hosts will help guide a national conversation around innovation, representation, ownership, and monetization in the modern media economy.

BOMESI also announced a growing roster of sponsors and partners, including Ben & Jerry’s, Nielsen, Press Forward, My Code, and OTTera Media Group, reflecting a wider coalition of organizations investing in the sustainability of diverse-owned media platforms.

The summit’s programming is expected to include keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops, networking opportunities, and strategy sessions focused on content creation, business development, advertising equity, audience growth, and the future of media entrepreneurship. Additional OTTera Media Group speakers include Ashley Ancrum, Director of Business Development for AdNet+; James DuBose, President; and Stephen L. Hodge, Chairman and CEO.

Founded to create stronger pathways for independent, community-based, and diverse-owned media, BOMESI has built its work around three pillars: ecosystem, education, and economic empowerment. That mission speaks directly to legacy publishers, digital creators, community journalists, filmmakers, podcasters, advertising leaders, and entrepreneurs who understand that cultural influence must be matched with sustainable revenue.

And Detroit is a fitting host city. With its rich history of Black creativity, music, labor, entrepreneurship, and cultural resilience, the Motor City offers more than a backdrop—it offers a living case study in reinvention. BOMESI’s 2026 agenda includes sessions on data, deal flow, growth markets, infrastructure, investment, innovation, audience development, retail media, and connected TV.

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For Houston’s media, business, civic, and creative communities, this summit carries a familiar truth: diverse media is not a side conversation. It is infrastructure. It is audience intelligence. It is cultural trust. It is the bridge between brands and communities that have too often been studied, targeted, and courted—but not equitably invested in.

As BOMESI co-founder and CEO DéVon Christopher Johnson stated, the summit is designed to celebrate “innovation and excellence” while building a more representative future for media.

Registration is now open for the 2026 BOMESI Summit at bomesisummit.org. For publishers, creators, marketers, and community leaders ready to turn cultural credibility into capital, Detroit may be the room where the next big deal—and the next big shift—begins.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

Solemn 75-mile walk honors migrants who died crossing the Sonoran Desert into the US

CNN Newsource on May 26, 2026

By Marc Monroy

Click here for updates on this story

    TUCSON, Arizona (KGUN) — Dozens of people from across the United States gathered at South Side Presbyterian Church in Tucson to take part in the 23rd annual Migrant Trail Walk, honoring migrants who have died trying to cross the Sonoran Desert.

Participants shouted “Presente” — a Spanish word translating to “present” — as a way of saying those lost are still with them in spirit.

The group will walk 75 miles from the Sasabe U.S.-Mexico border back to Tucson, experiencing the desert heat firsthand throughout the week.

“We walk to stand in solidarity with the victims of migration who have died and disappeared on their journey,” Jamie Wilson said.

More than 8,000 men, women, adults and children are known to have died crossing the desert, according to Wilson. The International Organization for Migration reports 131 migrants have been reported missing so far this year.

Matthew Bridges drove from Oakland, California to take part in the walk.

“It allows us to experience the types of conditions these people are enduring,” Bridges said.

“Despite the number of deaths we see, there are still so many people who care,” Bridges said.

Beyond remembrance, participants hope the walk will spark change in immigration policy.

“This walk is a way to honor the memory of those who died or disappeared in the desert,” a translator said on behalf of one participant.

The group plans to finish the walk in at Kennedy Park on Sunday.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

White Castle Breaks Ground in North Texas, Bringing a Century of Slider Royalty to the Lone Star State

CNN Newsource on May 26, 2026

By Francis Page Jr.

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    May 26, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Texas, get ready to make room at the table — and maybe loosen the belt one notch. White Castle, the legendary family-owned fast-food brand that turned the humble square slider into an American cultural icon, is officially preparing to plant its flag in the Lone Star State with its first Texas restaurant at Grandscape in The Colony, north of Dallas.

As first reported this week in the Houston Business Journal, White Castle is scheduled to break ground on its North Texas location on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, with plans to open later this year if construction moves forward as expected. The new restaurant is planned as a roughly 3,400-square-foot Castle at Grandscape, the booming entertainment, retail, and dining destination that has become one of North Texas’ most talked-about lifestyle developments.

For generations of Midwesterners, road-trippers, college students, night owls, and loyal “Cravers,” White Castle is more than a burger stop. It is a memory wrapped in wax paper. It is the scent of steamed onions, the comfort of a soft bun, the unmistakable bite of a square slider, and the kind of food folklore that somehow fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. Founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, White Castle has long claimed its place as America’s first fast-food hamburger chain, building a national following around its small, square hamburgers and its now-famous “Crave” culture.

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The Texas debut is not just another restaurant opening. It is a milestone more than 100 years in the making.

White Castle’s new North Texas location is expected to employ about 70 people, according to the company information shared in the Houston Business Journal report. That means new jobs, new training opportunities, and a little extra sizzle for a North Texas economy already known for attracting national brands, major developments, and ambitious retail concepts.

White Castle Chief Marketing Officer Jamie Richardson said the company selected Grandscape for its Texas debut because of its destination appeal, welcoming community, and available space. That strategy makes sense. Texans do not simply “try” a new restaurant — they turn openings into events, create lines around buildings, post the first bite on social media, and tell cousins in three counties where to go next. Grandscape gives White Castle a big stage for a big Texas introduction.

The brand also arrives with a strong family-business story. White Castle remains family-owned and is led by CEO Lisa Ingram, carrying forward a legacy that began when Billy Ingram helped launch the company with a bold idea, a modest investment, and a belief that Americans would embrace a clean, consistent, affordable hamburger experience. White Castle’s origin story famously began with small, five-cent hamburgers sold by the sack — the beginning of what became one of the most recognizable slider brands in the country.

And those sliders have history. In 2014, Time magazine named White Castle’s Original Slider the most influential burger of all time, a nod to the company’s role in shaping modern fast food and American burger culture.

For Houston Style Magazine readers, this North Texas opening carries a wider business lesson: legacy brands still grow when they listen to loyal customers, choose the right market, and honor the emotional connection people have with food. White Castle’s expansion into Texas shows that nostalgia, when paired with smart real estate and modern operations, can still drive fresh economic opportunity.

The Grandscape location also follows a familiar pattern. Another beloved Midwestern brand, Portillo’s, opened its first Texas restaurant at Grandscape in 2023 before expanding further into Dallas-Fort Worth and Greater Houston. That matters because once a cult-favorite brand gets a Texas foothold, Houston diners naturally start asking the million-dollar question: “When are we next?” Portillo’s has already shown that a North Texas debut can become a broader Texas growth story.

For now, White Castle has not announced a Houston location. But let’s be honest: Houston knows how to support a food phenomenon. From Third Ward to The Heights, from Midtown to Missouri City, from Pearland to Katy, this city knows sliders, late-night cravings, and family-style food runs. Should White Castle eventually turn its eyes toward the Bayou City, Houston would no doubt welcome the Castle with appetite, curiosity, and probably a line long enough to make national news.

Until then, Texans heading north later this year may have a new pilgrimage stop: The Colony, Grandscape, and the first official White Castle in North Texas.

After more than a century of feeding America one slider at a time, White Castle is finally coming to Texas. The Crave, it seems, has crossed the state line.

More information, go to: whitecastle.com

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446