Today we’d like to introduce you to James Havens.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Born and raised in Houston, I spent 12 years in Los Angeles in corporate retail. During my stint in Los Angeles, all of my shopping was done local avoiding large big box stores, it just feels better. When the time came to move back to Houston, I knew right away I was going to live in the Heights. When I settled in, I noticed there was absolutely no wine shop or anything relatively close I wanted to shop at. Having a passion for wine my whole life, I quit my job and started the Grocer.
Has it been a smooth road?
With any business, there are lessons you learn along the way. Luckily, I come from a family of entrepreneurs so they were there to support me every step of the way. In addition, Houstons small business community is so supportive and encouraging. Being in an older building, there were some growing pains during the buildout but since then it has been a pretty smooth operation.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Heights Grocer story. Tell us more about it.
We specialize in small production wines. Some producers make less than 200 cases per year. We currently offer 100 wines, probably won’t go over that mark, from there you kind of get overwhelmed. We also offer a selection of gifts and food made locally.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
This year (2019), there will most likely be some growth, I can’t say much more but there is a definite demand in some neighborhoods for a similar model. We also are rapidly expanding our Wine Club and delivery program to canvas all of Houston!
Pricing:
- Wines start at $11 and go up past $100 with bottles averaging around $20-$30
Contact Info:
- Address: 4525 N Main St.
Houston, TX 77009 - Website: www.theheightsgrocer.com
- Phone: 281-703-5615
- Email: info@theheightsgrocer.com
- Instagram: @theheightsgrocer
- Facebook: @theheightsgrocer
Image Credit:
Mark Jensen
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
