In the summer of 2025, Howard Hughes reported that construction was finished at Grogan's Mill Village Center. It also reported that the 31,000-square-foot retail center was 55% leased, with another 19% in letters of intent or lease negotiations. The buildings were ready, but many storefronts were still empty. Fifteen months later, a Sichuan restaurant, a doughnut-and-ice-cream shop, a barbershop and a dry cleaner have opened along Switchbud Place and Buckthorne Place since August. Each one is a short walk from the parking lot where The Woodlands Farmers Market sets up every Saturday morning.
That nearness is what makes this fall different. For years, the market has been the reason many people drive to Grogan's Mill on a weekend. Now the center around it is starting to give them a reason to stay after the produce is bagged.
How the first village center got here
Grogan's Mill was the first village center in The Woodlands, established in 1974. Its current stretch of openings came after a long reset:
- 2023. Howard Hughes bought the former Randall's site and the in-line retail buildings, according to a Woodlands Online report that passed along a statement from the Grogan's Mill Village Association.
- Redevelopment. The architecture firm PGAL describes the project as modernizing about 32,000 square feet of retail, refreshing the façades, improving pedestrian connections and adding outdoor gathering areas. Howard Hughes puts the retail figure at 31,000 square feet.
- Mid-2025. Construction was complete, and the center stood at 55% leased in the company's second-quarter report.
- December 2025 and March 2026. Plush Nail Bar opened, followed by Suna Studio, according to Community Impact.
- August through October 2026. Cooking Girl, Andy's Cleaners & Alterations, Yonutz and Hourani's Barbershop opened in quick succession.
- 2027. Uni Sushi is scheduled to return to the center.
The 55% figure is a snapshot from mid-2025, not today's occupancy. The openings since then show the direction, though. Every few weeks this year, another storefront has turned its lights on.
The market sets the clock
The Woodlands Farmers Market runs every Saturday, rain or shine, at the Grogan's Mill Shopping Center at 7 Switchbud Place. The Woodlands Township lists fall hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. October through June, and 9 a.m. to noon in the summer.
Three details from the Township listing shape how the market works:
- It is run by the village. The Grogan's Mill Village Association sponsors the market, and its profits go to the association's charitable programs, including college scholarships and the Interfaith Food Pantry.
- Vendors make what they sell. The market requires agricultural and artisan vendors to grow or produce their own goods.
- The lineup changes week to week. The market draws from more than 60 vendors. A newsletter goes out every Friday listing who will be there the next morning.
The 1 p.m. close matters for planning. The fall market ends right around lunchtime, and the newest restaurants at the center sit within a block of the stalls.
After the market: two addresses to know
Most of this year's openings cluster at two addresses. Once you know them, the center is easy to get around.
7 Switchbud Place
This is the market's own address, and it has become the center's busiest strip of new storefronts.
Cooking Girl soft-opened Aug. 10 in Suite 194, serving Sichuan food. Community Impact first reported it as coming to Grogan's Mill in October 2025, so the opening took close to a year. If you're going after the market, check its hours first.
Hourani's Barbershop opened Oct. 1 in Suite 191, Community Impact reported. It's a family barbershop offering cuts, coloring, skincare and waxing, and it also has a Houston location.
Next door, Suite 190 is reserved for Uni Sushi. Community Impact reported that it's returning to the center in a space of about 3,500 square feet, with an opening planned for 2027. When it opens, three neighboring suites on the market's own address will hold two restaurants and a barbershop.
2230 Buckthorne Place
Yonutz held its grand opening Sept. 14 in Suite 150. Franchise owner Staci Loftus told Community Impact that the shop's signature is the Smashed Donut, a hot-pressed, cinnamon-sugar doughnut filled with ice cream. Milkshakes and doughnuts with a range of toppings fill out the menu.
Down the block at 2100 Buckthorne Place, Andy's Cleaners & Alterations opened in September with dry cleaning and tailoring, according to Community Impact. It has other locations in the area. It's an ordinary errand, but now it fits into the same Saturday trip as the market.
Daniel & Co. Fine Jewelry & Watches is planned for 2260 Buckthorne Place. As of Community Impact's February 2026 report, the space was under construction and the opening date was listed as to be determined.
Turquoise Wine Bar, still listed as coming soon
The opening that would change the center's schedule most is in the same building as Yonutz. Turquoise Wine Bar's own Woodlands location page lists it at 2230 Buckthorne Place, Suite 130, and still labels it "coming soon." In May, owner René Murphy told Community Impact that the goal was a late September or early October opening. She described what the team wanted from the space:
"We also wanted good acoustic options because live music will be important to a great experience. Most importantly, we required a significant amount of space for a beautiful 'Wall of Wine' that will be available for purchase to take home or enjoy in-house."
The same article describes wine by the glass, flights, sangrias, spritzes and nonalcoholic drinks. The food menu includes bruschettas, salads, pizzas and desserts. There will also be a pet-friendly patio with a "Bark-Uterie Board" for dogs. Murphy said the work was being done with SFV Services and Howard Hughes Communities.
The posted hours are why this one matters for the center. The location page lists Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., with Mondays closed. Today, Saturday at Grogan's Mill largely winds down after the market closes at 1. A Saturday noon-to-10 schedule would overlap the market's last hour and keep this corner busy into the evening. Its events page says the calendar is being updated, so there's no live-music schedule yet. Check the location page before planning around it.
Market Saturdays from November through December
From the first week of November, the Township calendar shows these dates, each from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
- Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28
- Dec. 5, 12 and 19
- Dec. 26, which comes with a caveat
The Township calendar includes Dec. 26. The Grogan's Mill Village Association, however, says the market usually closes on the Saturday between Christmas and New Year's Day, and in 2026 that Saturday is Dec. 26. Check that week's Friday newsletter before you head out.
For the Saturday before Thanksgiving or one of the December weekends, the center now has enough open to fill a morning. You can do the market at 7 Switchbud, have lunch at Cooking Girl next door, then stop at Yonutz on Buckthorne. The barbershop and dry cleaner are on the same two blocks.
Keith has watched village centers across Montgomery County go through quiet stretches and comebacks, and Grogan's Mill is one to keep an eye on as Turquoise, Daniel & Co. and Uni Sushi open. If you have a question about what's happening around your corner of The Woodlands, from new storefronts to what they mean for your street, Keith Robertson and the team are glad to talk it through. Let's start a conversation.
